AAP’s Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, KCR daughter named in ED chargesheet in liquor policy case
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha was part of the ‘South group’ which paid Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to Aam Aadmi Party leaders in exchange for undue benefits under the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, the Enforcement Directorate has alleged in its chargesheet.
The chargesheet, filed before a special judge at Rouse Avenue district court, has relied on the statement of Indospirits MD Sameer Mahendru, who is an accused in the alleged money laundering case, to allege that he was approached by members of the ‘South group’. It is alleged that they expressed an interest in his company, and his initial pushback against this partnership fizzled out after a promise by AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair to provide him with a wholesale business.
Order on gurdwara under BJP fire, MP Parvesh Singh targets CM Kejriwal
An order issued by a sub-divisional magistrate in Delhi over alleged encroachment and noise pollution by a gurdwara in a residential neighbourhood has prompted a sharp reaction from the BJP.
“Delhi government’s new Tughlaqi Farman. Now Arvind Kejriwal ji’s government will control your religious places also. SDM Rohini has put restrictions on timing and people coming to Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha in Rohini (sic),” BJP MP Parvesh Singh tweeted.
The Delhi government did not respond to messages seeking a response on the issue.
Snack breaks for school students as Delhi govt plans health interventions
A set of interventions, including institutionalising a “mini snack break” as part of the school timetable, are being introduced in Delhi government schools with the aim of “overcoming malnutrition”.
The Directorate of Education (DoE) is in the process of identifying students with low BMI studying in their schools and conducting medical check-ups. At the same time, it will implement interventions at the school level and keep track of children with low BMI by instructing class teachers to maintain a regular record of the height and weight of each child in their class.
As part of the interventions, school timetables will be restructured with a “mini snack break” two-and-a-half hours before the lunch break.
Though Aaftab Poonawala, accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walker, told a Delhi court that he does not consent to a voice sampling test, the court rejected it by observing that even though he had a right to a fair trial, “it is true that fair investigation is required in the larger public interest.”
Directing police to produce the accused before CFSL, CBI Lodhi Colony, at 9.45 am to conduct Aaftab’s voice sampling test, Metropolitan Magistrate Vijayshree Rahthor said the “test can be conducted even if accused does not consent to it”.
A voice sample is like a fingerprint impression, signature or specimen handwriting of an accused. The accused by giving the voice sample merely gives an ‘identification data’ to the investigating agency.
Anand Mohan J reports
As the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Faridabad on Friday morning, a thin 89-year-old man, holding a wooden cane in one hand and the national flag perched on his shoulder, led the march.
Born in 1933, Karuna Prasad Mishra, a native of Churhat in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district, joined the yatra in October 2022 along with his fellow villagers. Since then, his daily routine starts with leading the ‘pad yatra’ at 6 am and walking for over three hours before taking a break.
“I am close to 90, but I do not feel tired. Rahul Gandhi told me to sit in the car, but I refused. I told him I will walk one kilometre ahead of others and motivate them. When I see youngsters walking alongside, I am also inspired to keep going,” he said.
Pavneet Singh Chadha reports from the Bharat Jodo Yatra
"During the yatra, I met thousands of people. When I ask the youth what did they study... they say engineering, medicine or preparing for IAS, but when I ask them what are they doing now... they say pakode tal rahe hain, Uber chala rahe hain, majdoori kar rahe hain ("We are frying pakode, we are driving Uber, we are doing manual labour")".
"Just like the media is controlled... pradhan mantri ke peeche bhi lagaam hai. Sarkar Modi ki nahi hai (Even the Prime Minister is reined in. The government is not Modi's")".
Gandhi also reiterated that demonetisation and GST are not policies, but weapons to kill small businesses.
Rahul Gandhi reiterated that Congress was opening a shop of love in BJP's market of hate. "BJP and RSS spread fear, hatred and violence while we spread love," he said at Faridabad.
"When we started yatra, BJP said it will last 3 days. When we reached Kerala, they said Congress is strong in Kerala, the yatra will be a flop in Karnataka. But, in Karnataka, the response was like a storm. Then, they said that yatra will be a flop in Telangana, but we received overwhelming support. Then they said in South India, it worked, but it will fail in Maharashtra, MP, Hindi belt, but yatra was like a tsunami in all these places. And the same response we received in Rajasthan and Haryana too," Rahul Gandhi said in Faridabad, Haryana.
"Now the Health Minister has written a letter to stop the yatra. Keh rahe hain Covid wapas aa gya hai, yatra band kar dijiye (They are saying Covid is back, stop the yatra). BJP yatra kar sakti hai (BJP can do a yatra)..."
"Modi Ji spent thousands of crores in the last 7-8 years to defame me and Congress party, but I never uttered a word. Aur phir meine ek mahine mein inke hazaron crores ko jala diya (And then in one month, I burned their thousands of crores)," the former Congress president said.
"Ye sarkar Modi ki nahi hai ("This government is not Modi's"). Do not have this misunderstanding. Ye Adani aur Ambani ki sarkar hai ("This government is Adani and Ambani's")," says Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi arrives at Badkal Mod, Faridabad
Rahul Gandhi will address a gathering at Gopal Garden in Faridabad around 6 pm.
In the multicultural mishmash of Old Delhi, there exist a few small but thriving pockets of the Christian community. The Christian connection with Shahjahanabad goes centuries back when Armenians and the Portuguese became the first to make this quintessential Mughal city their home. The Christmas celebrations here have their own special Mughal flavour.
Adrija Roychowdhury writes
There have been no new Covid-19 positive cases from Delhi airport, officials at the Lok Nayak Hospital said Friday, and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) received only two Covid samples for analysis.
According to Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director at the Lok Nayak Hospital, which is the nodal office for coronavirus cases, all the Covid beds are lying vacant in the hospital and no patient has come from the airport.
Read more
Delhi court extends Aaftab Poonawala's judicial custody by 14 days
A Delhi court has allowed the police to collect the voice samples of Aaftab Poonawala, said his lawyer Adv MS Khan.
Voice samples will be collected on Monday from CFSL lab on Monday. Prosecution has largely argued that the accused has no right even to oppose the application. The judge hearing the case had asked the media to leave the courtroom considering the sensitive nature of the case.
Delhi government schools will be closed for winter vacation from January 1 to January 15, the Directorate of Education said in a circular issued on Thursday. However, students from Classes IX to XII will attend compulsory remedial classes from January 2 to 14 for revision.
The circular also notes that remedial classes will be held in separate school wings in case of double-shift schools. In case of a space crunch, evening shift schools can consult the relevant district deputy director of education (DDE) and opt for evening timings, the circular further adds.
While there will be four one-hour classes from 8.30 am to 12.50 am in the mornings, with a 20-minute break from 10.30 am to 10.50 am, the evening classes will be held from 1.30 pm to 5.50 pm, with a break from 3.40 pm to 3.50 p.m.
Read more
Namaz prayers were disrupted by a group of Bajrang Dal members in the sector 69 area in Gurgaon on Friday afternoon.
More than 1,000 beggars living in the Hanuman Mandir area near the Kashmere Gate ISBT will be shifted to night shelters in January in view of the G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi in September next year, according to officials.
The city government had, on December 15, asked the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to remove and relocate the beggars living in the area. A four-member committee under the DUSIB chief engineer was constituted to coordinate with government agencies, including the deputy commissioner of police of the district concerned, and prepare an action plan for shifting these people to night shelters.
"More than 1,000 beggars have been identified during a survey conducted in the area on Wednesday and Thursday," a DUSIB official told PTI. (PTI)
The Aam Aadmi Party Friday finalised six names as its candidates for various MCD posts, including that of the mayor and deputy mayor, with Shelly Oberoi emerging as the choice for the top post in the civic body.
Senior AAP leader Pankaj Gupta announced the names at a press conference. The party held a meeting of its political affairs committee (PAC) and following a discussion, the six names were shortlisted.
The party's mayoral candidate is Shelly Oberoi and deputy mayor candidate is Aaley Mohammad Iqbal, son of AAP MLA Shoaib Iqbal. The four names shortlisted for Standing Committee were Raminder Kaur, Sarika Chaudhary, Mohini Jeenwal and Mohd Aamil Malik. (Read more)
On BJP leader Prahlad Joshi's remarks that Bharat Jodo Yatra is taking a break so that Rahul Gandhi can go abroad, Jairam Ramesh, said, "Whatever he (Joshi) has said, if it turns out to be the truth, I shall publicly apologise and if it is false, he should apologise."
The Delhi HC issued a notice to Bear Grylls, WB Discovery, NatGeo, Hotstar etc and other platforms in a Copyright Infringement Suit filed by Arrmann Shankar Shharma, a scriptwriter who has claimed that the Grylls and the broadcast platforms have infringed his original copyright work ‘Aakhri Dum Takk-Till the Last Breath’ by broadcasting the famous reality show ‘Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls.’
A single-judge bench of Justice Amit Bansal referred the parties to mediation, based on the request made by the counsel appearing for Bear Grylls.
Shharma, who is engaged in the work of script writing and television/film production and direction, had allegedly conceptualised and scripted the reality show in the year 2009. While the show is being broadcast in USA and outside India since the year 2013, in India it has been released only in the year 2021 on the OTT platform Hotstar.
The show is widely popular because of its adventurous spirit and famous host – Bear Grylls. The matter is listed before the Delhi HC Mediation Centre on January 17, 2023 and before the court in February.
Former JNU student Umar Khalid was released from Tihar jail on Friday. He has been granted one-week bail to attend his sister’s wedding. This is the first time Khalid will walk out of Tihar since he was jailed two years ago after his arrest in an Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) case in connection with the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat granted interim bail to Umar Khalid for a week starting from December 23, and he will have to surrender on December 30 without seeking further extension. His lawyers had orally told the court he would not talk to the media or meet the public if allowed to attend his sister’s wedding. (Read more)
Water supply to some key areas in Delhi, including CR Park, Aurobindo Market, Kailash Hill, RK Puram, Dilshad Garden among others, will be affected during Christmas, between December 24 and 25 due to annual maintenance work, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials said.
“Due to the annual program for flushing of the underground reservoir and booster pumping station, water supply will be affected on 24.12.2022 & 25.12.2022 in the following areas. Residents are advised to store sufficient quantity of water in advance as per requirement,” an official said. (Read more)
Congress on Friday shared the route plan for Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is scheduled to enter Delhi on Saturday. It is set to enter Delhi from Badarpur and will en at the Red Fort.
Party leader ShaktiSinh Gohil said, 'Our yatra is desh ki yatra. Across the country, we have been walking as per the route plan shared by the CRPF. No State administration has stopped us. We expect the administration to cooperate in Delhi. So far, there is no problem.'
AAP nominates Shailey Oberoi from ward number 86, Patel Nagar Vidhan Sabha for the Mayor post.
Speaking at a press conference on the third day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, said: "This whole Covid drama over last two days has been orchestrated to defame and derail the yatra from entering Delhi. That has been the only objective."
Kanhaiya Kumar, speaking at a press conference in Pakhal, Faridabad on the third day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana, said that BJP is attempting to divide the country on the basis of identities.
'The country is being divided on the basis of identities and attempts are being made to create divisions. Desh ko bhavnatmak taur par jodne ki zaroorat hai. If there is an atmosphere of hatred, other issues will be ignored,' said Kumar.
'The attacks continued then when BJP started putting out lies that Rahul Gandhi did not go to Vivekananda's statue, or about his t shirt, beard etc. They put out edited videos of empty streets and used these dirty tricks,' he said, adding: 'When Rahul Gandhi goes to Gurudwara, Church or a mosque, BJP has no problem. But when he goes to a temple, BJP leaders suddenly have palpitations and their stomachs are upset.'
Kanhaiya Kumar, speaking at a press conference in Pakhal, Faridabad on the third day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana, said that the BJP is wasting time attacking Congress.
"Since the day yatra began, BJP has been attacking the Congress by raising bogus issues. The first attack is when BJP says Bharat toh juda hai, so why is the yatra required. I want to counter and ask why is BJP talking about yatra if Bharat is United. Why is the Health Minister wasting ink by writing letter to suspend the yatra? Agar zaroorat nhi yatra ki toh charcha kyon?" he said. "They are scared that if they win hearts, they will end up winning election."
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the city police, seeking an action-taken report in connection with the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a five-year-old girl at Bhalswa Dairy.
The panel has sought the details related to the FIR and the arrest of the accused by December 26.
"Five-year-old girl raped in Delhi. She was picked up from the front of her residence at Bhalswa Dairy and later, found near a lake. She underwent a surgery in a hospital. My team is with her. We have issued a notice to the Delhi Police so that the accused are arrested soon," DCW chief Swati Maliwal said in a tweet in Hindi. (PTI)
Ahead of the Bharat Jodo Yatra’s entry into Delhi, old ghosts continue to haunt the Congress.
Jagdish Tytler, a once formidable Congress leader, may not have much clout within the party anymore, but the 1984 anti-Sikh riots accused continues to draw the party flak every time he is associated with its activities, the most recent one being the yatra.
Tytler told the media earlier this week that he would participate in the yatra, inviting sharp attacks on the party and the yatra from multiple BJP leaders who then referred to it as the ‘Bharat Todo Yatra’. Tytler also attended a party meeting held in Delhi this week to prepare for the yatra that will enter Delhi on Saturday. (Read more)
Ahead of Christmas and New Year, Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh carried out inspections of several crowded locations, including DLF Mall, GIP Mall, Garden Galleria, Atta Market, and Sector 18.
According to a Noida Police statement, security arrangements, the condition of lighting and roads, and the density of traffic at key locations were examined. The commissioner instructed officers to complete preparations for security arrangements by holding a meeting with prominent local citizens and traders and to prepare a roadmap for the same.
A surprise inspection of the Sector 39 police station was also carried out. (Read more)
The Delhi High Court Friday denied interim bail sought by Pradeep Ramadanee, the co-accused in the Sukesh Chandrashekhar-Rs 200-crore extortion case. The bail plea was sought on medical grounds, with the direction to Rohini Jail authorities to take Ramadanee for his medical appointments as directed by the trial court. Ramadanee sought interim bail to get cataract surgery in his right eye.
A single judge bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma observed that Jail authorities at Rohini where Ramadanee is currently lodged had been complying with the orders of the trial court with respect to Ramadanee’s treatment.
Further, the Delhi Police counsel submitted that Ramadamee will be taken to the private hospital for cataract surgery and on all other subsequent dates if advised by the doctor concerned. The court further observed that every person may not need interim bail if they are granted effective medical treatment in custody.
Delhi recorded the coldest night of the season so far this winter with the minimum temperature dropping to 5.3 degrees Celsius early on Friday, three degrees below the normal for this time of the year.
The city also saw a foggy morning with the visibility dropping to 200 m at Palam and Safdarjung at 8.30 am. Parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan recorded dense fog early on Friday.
Delhi recorded a colder day as well on Thursday with the maximum temperature dropping to 20.6 degrees Celsius, a notch below the normal. The maximum temperature began to drop from Wednesday onwards, when a figure of 21.1 degrees was recorded, lower than the 24.7 degrees seen on Sunday. (Read more)
Police have arrested a 43-year-old man, who is a fan of Argentina football star Lionel Messi, for robbing multiple people in South Delhi. ‘Messi gang’ is involved in more than 55 cases of phone theft, said police.
According to police, the modus operandi of the gang was to commit theft and snatching in crowded areas and added that it has targeted several people in the last two years. “The gang leader is a football fan and is a footballer himself. He often referred to himself as Messi,” said police. (Read more)
An image from the INSAT-3DR satellite, on Wednesday morning, showed a blanket of fog lying over a large part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, save for a hole of sorts over Delhi.
The image from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) could point to what may be a ‘fog hole’ over Delhi, according to IMD scientist R K Jenamani.
At the IGI Airport Wednesday morning, the lowest visibility was 350 m having improved from around 50 m on Tuesday. Visibility at Safdarjung was even better at around 500 m between 5.30 am and 8.30 am. While fog over Delhi was mostly shallow to moderate on Wednesday, dense to very dense fog was reported over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and northwest Rajasthan. (Read more)
Amidst the spurt in Covid cases across China, doctors in the capital and experts who have were actively involved in tackling the previous waves said there is no need to panic as the BF.7 variant is not lethal and has not been found in Delhi yet.
According to Dr S K Sarin, “There is no hesitation this time and the governments immediately started working as soon as we witnessed the surge in other countries. Action-taken plans have been in place within 24 hours of the alert. The lesson learnt is that we are prepared and know the road ahead.”
Doctors are of the view that there is no requirement for restrictions anymore as it has not been fruitful in the past. However, some suggested that wearing masks is advisable. (Read more)
Delhiites’ troubles at Ashram are far from over, with the flyover set to be shut for 45 days soon because of the extension work which is currently underway.
The flyover is one of the busiest sections in the city as the Mathura Road and the DND Flyway both connect to it. It sees over 3 lakh vehicles, including heavy trucks and lorries, passing through each day. The junction has been at different stages of construction for several years now, with the Delhi Metro, an underpass and now the flyover construction underway at the site over the years. In the current project, the flyover is being extended to connect directly to the DND Flyway. Read More
Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez, accused in a money laundering case, on Thursday withdrew from a Delhi court her plea for permission to go abroad.
The actor told the court about her decision after the judge said the question of charge should first be decided.
“You can withdraw the application and let the question of charge first be decided. Otherwise I will pass a judicial order,” the judge said. Read More
Urging the people to take precautionary doses amid the China Covid scare, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the government is following the central government’s guidelines and conducting genome sequencing of all the samples. Assuring that there is no need to worry now, he said there is no case of the BF 7 variant in Delhi at present. On Covid-19 preparedness, he said there are 8000 covid dedicated beds and 6000 oxygen cylinders in reserve if needed in the national capital. He also added that there are facilities to store 928 mt tonne oxygen.
"RSS spreads hatred, but they are afraid of farmers, labourers. I want to tell every person to not be afraid. Ye veeron ka desh hai. No one is afraid here and yatra has shown that the nation is not afraid. The day the nation stands united, all this hatred will disappear and that day is not far." Rahul Gandhi said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the mic is turned off in parliament when the opposition talks about GST, Rafale, etc. "In Parliament, when we talk on issues related to Rafale, GST, etc, the mic is turned off and no one can hear us..." he said in Nuh.
"During the time of Gandhi (Mahatama) too, people tried to create divisions and sow hatred...he was the most fearless person of India...I want to tell you all that do not he afraid." he said.
Addressing a gathering at Gandhi Gram Ghasera village in Nuh, Rahul Gandhi promised better roads, health facilities, and educational institutions if congress comes to power.
"We have been walking on these roads here and it is clear to me that the people of Mewat want better roads, schools, colleges, educational institutions, and access to better medical facilities and water supply. When our government is in power, I ensure you that we will complete these works...it will take time, but our intentions are clear." Gandhi said.
"I am addressing the media persons as my friends, par inke mitr doosre hein jo 24 ghante TV par aate hein. You will not see the yatra in the media, but if Modi walks 10-15 steps, the media will show that for 24 hours. But, it's not their fault. Inki lagaam baand rakhi hai," he said.
A day after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to either follow “all Covid-19 guidelines” during his Bharat Jodo Yatra or suspend it, Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the government is coming up with excuses to stop the yatra. Addressing a public meeting Haryana's Nuh, Gandhi said, "it's their (BJP) new idea, they wrote a letter to me saying COVID is coming & stop the Yatra. All these are excuses to stop this Yatra, they are scared of India's truth."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Haryana yesterday, will address people at Ghasera village in Nuh shortly. Mahatama Gandhi visited the village on December 19, 1947, to meet the Meo community.
The Delhi High Court Wednesday sought the Centre’s stand in a PIL seeking a direction to the Union Government to establish the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the “national standards body of India” in respect of “television audience measurement services”.
division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notices to 10 respondents, including the Centre through its ministries such as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and News Broadcasters Federation, among others. The high court asked the parties to file their replies and listed the matter for hearing on April 28, 2023. (Read more)
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, speaking at a press conference in Ferozepur Namak village in Nuh on the second day of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Haryana, said that there has not been a single case of Covid-19 among the yatris.
"In a serious matter of public health, politics is being done...There is not a single case of Covid in Bharat Jodo Yatra, all yatris are double vaccinated and some have gotten booster doses as well. We know why this is being done. An atmosphere is being created that these yatris are 'gair zimmedar' and using Covid as an excuse to stop the yatra," he said.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while hearing an interim bail plea filed by former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was sentenced to life by a trial court for raping a minor girl in 2017.
A division bench of Justice Mukta Gupta and Justice Poonam A Bamba issued notice to the central agency, noting that Sengar had sought bail for two months on account of his daughter’s wedding in February next year at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Appearing for Sengar, senior advocate N Hariharan submitted that Sengar’s daughter’s ‘tilak’ ceremony was to be held on January 30 while the wedding is on February 8, 2023. (Read more)
Amid fresh concerns over coronavirus, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday advised parliamentarians to wear a mask and spread awareness about Covid-appropriate behaviour. Birla came to the House wearing a mask himself, and said Covid cases are once again on the rise in certain countries.
He said the government has taken quick steps and asked people to wear masks in crowded places and follow Covid-related protocols. "We should be vigilant keeping in mind the past trends of the pandemic," he told the members.
He also said masks have been made available for MPs at the entry points of the Lok Sabha chamber and they should all wear one. (PTI)
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Thursday said: "We have just received information that the Prime Minister has called an emergency meeting to review the situation of Covid. And PM's B team — Delhi CM — has also called a meeting to review Covid situation. Aap chronology samjhiye."
Ramesh was speaking at a press conference at Ferozepur Namak village in Nuh, on the second day of the yatra in Haryana.
"In July, September and November, 4 cases of Omicron subvariant have been reported in Gujarat and Orissa. Bharat Jodo Yatra began in September and now two days before when the yatra is about to enter Delhi, suddenly these emergency meetings are being called. This is politics. They want to defame the yatra and put a stop to it. We are ready to follow scientific protocol, not political protocol," he added.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended former Delhi Prisons chief Sandeep Goel. The departmental action has been taken a month after he was transferred and asked to report to Delhi Police Headquarters, said MHA sources.
MHA's action comes as conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar last month made sensational claims that he paid Rs 12.5 crores to Goel as "protection money" for his safety in Mandoli Jail where he is lodged in connection with a Rs 200 crore money laundering case, reported the news agency ANI.
Delhi HC has issued notice to CBI on the bail plea of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar serving life imprisonment after being convicted of raping a minor girl in 2017.
Sengar sought bail for attending his daughter’s wedding in February 2023. The HC has directed the CBI to verify the facts in Sengar’s plea and file a status report listing the matter on January 16.
Aaftab Poonawala, the accused in the murder of Shraddha Walker, has told a Delhi court that he would like to withdraw his bail application.
Aaftab's lawyer MS Khan told the court that there was a miscommunication with his client over moving the bail application. Additional Sessions Judge Vrinda Kumari asked the lawyer to brief his client that when he signs a vakalatnama, the lawyer would be taking steps on behalf of his client.
On December 17, the court was due to hear arguments on his bail plea, however, Poonawala had through an email told the court that the bail application was moved erroneously.
The Delhi HC has dismissed a plea challenging the Centre’s notification allowing Sikh passengers to carry Kirpans “on person” on domestic flights.
On Dec. 15, a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad had reserved its verdict on the PIL plea and orally observed that this was a policy decision of the Central government which "ought not to be interfered with by the court" unless it is "arbitrary". The HC had further said that the government had applied their mind and had come up with this policy.
After the recent cyber attack at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Delhi, the central government-run hospitals in Delhi — Safdarjung and Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospitals — are strengthening their cyber security. Officials at the hospitals said that a review meeting will be conducted by National Informatics Centre (NIC) as well.
According to official sources, there have been instructions from the Union Health Ministry for Safdarjung and RML on steps to be taken to enhance cyber security. “We have been told in writing on what actions need to be taken, whether we need to increase our manpower, manager and routine audits,” said an official. (Read more)
A layer of dense fog enveloped the Indo-Gangetic plains including Delhi Thursday morning, affecting road and rail traffic. A railway spokesperson said 20 trains were running late by 1.30 to 4.30 hours.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) 'very dense' fog is when visibility is between 0 and 50 metres, 51 and 200 is 'dense', 201 and 500 'moderate', and 501 and 1,000 'shallow'.
The Met office said the Palam and Safdarjung airport logged visibility levels of 200 metres at 5.30 am. (PTI)
The Delhi government is monitoring the Covid situation and the health department has asked officials to ensure genome sequencing is done for all positive cases being reported in the city. Officials said they will also take stock of oxygen plants and other logistics available in the state government-run hospitals.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the Covid situation in the national capital and make preparations.
The move comes amid a spurt in Covid cases in China. The Union Health Ministry Tuesday urged all states and Union Territories to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive samples to keep track of emerging variants. (Read more)
An email complaint by the boy’s mother to the school authorities alleging that her son had been sexually abused and bullied and was having ‘suicidal’ tendencies; a handwritten note allegedly by the victim mentioning sexual assault by some students; and phone call recordings of the boy discussing the alleged assault with friends – these are some of the crucial pieces of evidence in the chargesheet filed by Faridabad police against the academic headmistress and the principal of a prominent school in the case of suicide of a class 10 student in February this year.
Faridabad police filed a chargesheet against the two accused earlier this month before a district court. The academic headmistress has been charged under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide), and section 21 (punishment for failure to report or record a case) of POCSO Act, and the principal under section 21 of the POCSO Act. Three former schoolmates of the victim, who are also accused in the case, are yet to be chargesheeted. (Read more)
While hearing two petitions seeking quashing of an FIR involving an altercation between a DMRC employee and a CISF constable at a Metro station, the Delhi High Court Wednesday expressed concern on the behaviour of the parties stationed at a public place which is “teeming with people”.
A single judge bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh was hearing two cross petitions filed by Mahendra Singh Meena, a DMRC employee, and Sajukta Patra, a CISF constable, both stationed at Ramesh Nagar Metro station when the altercation took place in 2015.
Patra’s counsel submitted that she had three daughters and the matter be quashed as the parties had arrived at a settlement. Similarly, Meena’s counsel submitted that situations like this happen sometimes. Meena was asked by the court what had happened and he submitted that he was on “guard duty” at the station and was asked not to open a “side gate” by his superiors, when the constable asked him to open it several times which eventually ended in an altercation. Justice Singh remarked, “What’s the problem if you have to open the gate four times?” (Read more)
United Against Hate activist Khalid Saifi booked by Delhi Police in its 2020 Northeast Delhi riots “larger conspiracy case” told the Delhi High Court Wednesday that the restrictions on the power of a court to grant bail should not be pushed too far.
A special bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Rajnish Bhatnagar reserved orders on Saifi’s bail appeal on December 12. On Wednesday, senior advocate Rebecca John was permitted to make additional arguments before the bench on what constitutes a prima facie case for denial of bail in a UAPA case. Saifi and several others were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and provisions of the IPC for being the alleged masterminds of the February 2020 riots, which erupted during the anti-CAA and NRC protests in the city. Read More
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss Covid-19 situation and review preparedness.
Due to the prevailing conditions of cold and fog, schools for classes 1-12 in Gautam Buddh Nagar District will open from 9 AM, starting on December 22.
The Delhi High Court sought on Wednesday the response of the Centre, Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) and Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to a petition seeking to establish BIS as the national standards body for harmonious development of activities related to Television Audience Measurement Services.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notices to several ministries including Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology, besides the BIS, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, BARC, Indian Broadcasting Foundation and News Broadcasters Federation.
The court asked the parties to file their replies to the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on April 28. (PTI)