Gandhinagar, Sep 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) Artificial intelligence can help analyse large volumes of judicial data and identify trends that may escape the human eye, but it cannot decide what should be done in an individual case, Supreme Court judge Justice N V Anjaria said on Saturday, while stressing that AI must remain an aid, rather than a decision-maker, in the justice delivery system.

Justice Anjaria was speaking at the inauguration of the ‘India Digital ADR Summit-2026’ at the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar.

He also launched the ‘SAMYAK’ portal, a digital initiative of the university’s International Digital Dispute Resolution Centre (IDDRC).

“If AI is to be used on a large scale in arbitration or any judicial process, certain essential aspects have to be taken into consideration. AI can be part of the justice delivery system, but cannot be the decision-maker,” Justice Anjaria said.

He said AI could help understand what had happened across hundreds of cases and identify patterns and trends that might not be readily visible to humans.

However, he made a distinction between using technology to assist in analysing cases and allowing it to determine the outcome of a particular case.

Attorney General of India, R Venkataramani, who also addressed the gathering, spoke to law students about the importance of developing an investigative approach.

"Doubt, refutation and verification are the foundations of science and students must cultivate the habits of questioning, challenging and verifying information," he said.

Venkataramani also described NFSU as having the potential to emerge as a global hub of excellence and said its early achievements would help establish its international reputation.

Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal congratulated the IDDRC on the launch of the SAMYAK portal, describing it as a "unique initiative".

She said clear rules are needed for the incorporation of artificial intelligence into legal institutions.

"Such rules should clearly distinguish between tasks where AI could be used and those that must remain within the exclusive domain of human judgement and discretion in the dispute resolution process," she asserted.

The summit was attended by former Supreme Court judges M R Shah and Rajesh Bindal, besides Gujarat State Human Rights Commission Chairman Dr K J Thaker, former Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Justice Soniya Gokani and former Chief Justice Justice Dr A C Joshi.

Source: IANS

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Gwalior, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a shocking incident, a school bus driver was shot at by two youths following a dispute over a car parked in the middle of the road in Dabra town of Gwalior district on Saturday morning. Alarmingly, there were around 50 schoolchildren in the bus at the time of the incident who were left terrified after witnessing the crime, police said.

The incident occurred near Badi Akbai village under Pichhore police station limits when the bus belonging to Glorious Convent School, Tekanpur, was taking children to school.

According to police, a Swift car was parked in the middle of the road, obstructing traffic.

Unable to move forward because of the car parked in an awkward manner, bus driver Khem Singh sent his helper to ask the occupants to move the vehicle.

However, the men allegedly refused to move the vehicle, saying the car had run out of fuel.

When Singh got down and suggested that the car be pushed aside to clear the road, the youths allegedly became angry and an argument followed.

One of them allegedly pulled out a country-made pistol and fired four rounds at Singh. Pellets hit him near the eye and on the cheek, leaving him injured. The accused then fled from the spot.

The injured driver was initially taken to a hospital in Dabra and later referred to Gwalior for further treatment.

Pichhore SHO Shivam Singh Rajawat said the car had tinted windows and the word "Gurjar" was written on its rear windshield.

The firing took place while around 50 children were inside the school bus, triggering concern over their safety.

The children were reportedly terrified after the sudden gunfire and the attack on their driver.

SDOP Saurabh Kumar said police teams were working to identify and arrest the accused.

CCTV footage from the area is also being examined to trace their movements.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident and are questioning witnesses to establish the circumstances leading to the firing.

Source: IANS

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Jaipur, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Rajasthan High Court has ruled that a government employee who resigns from service to contest an election cannot seek reinstatement merely because he loses the contest.

A division bench of Justice Indrajit Singh and Justice Sandeep Taneja delivered the ruling while dismissing a petition filed by Neeraj Bishnoi, a former senior auditor with North Western Railway.

The court held that an election defeat does not by itself amount to a "compelling reason" or a "significant change in circumstances" warranting withdrawal of a resignation under the applicable service rules.

Bishnoi resigned from his post on October 10, 2023, to contest the Rajasthan Assembly election. The Railway accepted his resignation with effect from November 1, 2023. He subsequently contested the election from the Ratangarh Assembly constituency in Churu district on a BSP ticket but lost. On January 1, 2024, Bishnoi applied for withdrawal of his resignation and sought reinstatement in government service.

The department rejected his request on January 29, 2024. His subsequent representation was also rejected on February 22, 2024.

He then approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Jaipur, and later challenged the decision before the High Court. Before the High Court, Bishnoi's counsel argued that the application to withdraw the resignation had been submitted within the 90-day period prescribed under the rules. It was also argued that Bishnoi was unaware at the time of resigning that the decision would affect his pension and other retirement benefits.

According to the plea, he became aware of the consequences only after losing the election. The petitioner argued that this amounted to a change in circumstances and should have allowed him to withdraw his resignation. The department opposed the plea, maintaining that Bishnoi had voluntarily resigned specifically to contest the election. Having acted on that decision, he could not withdraw his resignation simply because he was unsuccessful at the polls.

After hearing both sides, the High Court upheld the CAT's decision and dismissed the petition. The court observed that the subsequent realisation that resignation would affect pension and retirement benefits could not be treated as a "compelling reason" under the rules governing withdrawal of resignation.

The bench noted that Bishnoi had voluntarily resigned for the stated purpose of contesting the election and had subsequently acted on that decision by entering the electoral contest. The High Court referred to the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021, under which withdrawal of resignation is subject to specified conditions, including the existence of a compelling reason for the resignation and a significant change in circumstances connected with that reason.

The court also considered the provisions governing political activity by government employees. Under the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964, government employees are required to maintain political neutrality and are restricted from participating in political activities and elections in the manner prescribed by the rules. The court noted that allowing the resignation to be withdrawn in the circumstances of the case would have the effect of treating the petitioner as having remained in continuous government service during the period after his resignation, including the period when he contested the election.

It consequently found no grounds to interfere with the CAT's order and dismissed the petition.

Source: IANS

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Patna, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Patna Zonal Unit, has secured the conviction of two men in a drug trafficking case involving the seizure of 5.250 kg of opium in Bihar’s Aurangabad district.

The contraband was seized on February 24, 2021, following specific Intelligence received by the NCB.

Acting on the information, officers intercepted accused Pramod Prasad at Ramabandh Bus Stand in the Town Police Station area of Aurangabad and recovered 5.250 kg of opium, which he had allegedly concealed in his clothes.

According to the NCB, the opium had been sourced from Daltonganj in Jharkhand and was being transported to Aurangabad in Bihar.

The case was registered as NCB Patna Zonal Unit Crime No. 04/2021 under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

During the subsequent investigation, the alleged supplier, identified as Bikesh Kumar Gupta, was also arrested.

The NCB said its investigation gathered evidence that was subsequently presented before the court to establish the involvement of both accused.

The 1st Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge (NDPS Act), Aurangabad, found Pramod Prasad, a resident of Imamganj in Gaya district, and Bikesh Kumar Gupta alias Bikash Kumar Gupta, a resident of Panki in Palamu district of Jharkhand, guilty of offences under the NDPS Act.

The court sentenced both men to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each under the applicable Sections.

The court further directed that, in case of failure to pay the fine, each convict would undergo an additional one year of simple imprisonment.

The NCB attributed the conviction to the investigation and prosecution conducted by its officers and said it remains committed to curbing illicit drug trafficking and preventing drug abuse.

The Bureau has also appealed to members of the public to share information about the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through the MANAS portal or helpline number 1933.

The NCB said the identity of informants would be kept strictly confidential.

Source: IANS

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Chandigarh, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a first-ever extradition from Europe and a major breakthrough against transnational organised crime, Punjab Police, with the assistance of central agencies, secured the extradition of fugitive criminal Amritpal Singh, alias Amrit Dalam, a key operative of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, from Moldova, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Saturday.

He is wanted in multiple cases of murders, attempt to murder, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), arms Act and Narcotic offences, etc, the DGP wrote on X.

He said this was the first-ever extradition secured by Punjab Police from a European country, marking a significant milestone in the fight against organised crime.

Accused Amritpal was detained by Moldovan authorities on February 24, while he was attempting to cross the Otaci state border towards Ukraine, following which the extradition process against him was initiated through Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) Punjab.

During these proceedings, the Court of Chisinau granted the extradition of Amritpal to India on May 26. His appeal against the extradition order was also rejected by the Court of Appeal Centru on July 16, thereby making the extradition order final.

DGP Yadav said following the extradition of the accused, a four-member team of Punjab Police was sent to Moldova to bring him back to India.

The team, led by Superintendent of Police (Anti-Gangster Task Force-AGTF) Bikramjit Singh Brar, comprised Inspector Pushvinder Singh, Sub-Inspector Jaspreet Singh and ASI Varinder Kumar as members.

The accused was taken into custody by the team of Punjab Police from Chisinau Airport in Moldova on Friday and arrived at IGI Airport in New Delhi on Saturday, he said, adding the accused is being brought back to face the law in Punjab.

“This is the first-ever extradition secured by Punjab Police from a European country, marking a significant milestone in our fight against organised crime,” said the DGP, while adding that the operation marks the successful culmination of ‘Operation Eastern Reach’-- a six-month-long Intelligence-led international manhunt involving sustained surveillance, strategic Intelligence gathering and close coordination with national and international agencies.

While commending the efforts of AGTF Punjab and OFTEC, the DGP also thanked the Moldovan authorities, Azerbaijan authorities, International Police Cooperation Unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation (IPCU-CBI), Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs and all other central agencies as part of this international cooperation.

Additional Director General of Police (AGTF) Promod Ban said the accused is wanted in at least seven murder cases including the murder of Dalbir Singh in Batala in 2019, double murder case of Amrjeet Lal and Kashmiri Lal in Hoshiarpur in 2024, murder of Dharamjit Singh, alias Dharma, in 2025, double murder case of Kanav Mahajan and Sarabjit Singh, alias Kaka, in 2025 and murder of Jasdeep Singh, alias Deep Cheema, in 2025.

The accused had fled abroad in October 2024, using a fake passport prepared on particulars of Gurpal, son of Hira Singh, resident of Kurukshetra, Haryana, he said.

The accused gangster's movements were tracked across multiple countries, while he was on the run, said the ADGP, while adding Punjab Police had issued a Red Notice against the accused and shared inputs regarding his fake passport and whereabouts with central agencies at different intervals, which subsequently led to his extradition.

Inspector General of Police (Counter Intelligence), Ashish Choudhary, said that since the establishment of OFTEC, nine high-priority fugitives have been deported from different countries in addition to the current extradition.

Due to the efforts of the cell, two extradition requests sent this year, have resulted in success, the earlier being the case of Amritpal Mehron from the UAE, he said.

He said the OFTEC is vigorously pursuing extradition matter of 11 other foreign-based fugitives.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) A significant quantity of narcotics and an illegal firearm were seized by troops of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) close to the India-Nepal border over the last two days, officials said on Saturday.

Five persons have been apprehended in this connection.

In the latest case, personnel of the 41 Bn SSB Ranidanga and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force of the Bihar Police carried out an intelligence-based operation in the Lakdi Depot area in Galgalia, Kishanganj, Bihar, around 7.10 a.m. on Saturday.

The security personnel carried out a raid at the house of one Mohamad Hasim (57) and seized 507 grams of Brown Sugar, 814 grams of amphetamine, a country-made pistol, one round of live ammunition and a mobile phone.

The house is barely 550 metres from the international border, officials said.

The seized items were checked with a drug detection kit and tested positive for MDMA (Amphetamine) and Brown Sugar. Hasim and Ruksar Khatun (30) were taken into custody. The latter is from the Channu Tola village in Bhatgaon, Kishanganj.

"During preliminary interrogation, the apprehended persons disclosed that the Brown Sugar and Amphetamine were procured from an unidentified person at Galgalia Bazar. They, along with the seized items, were handed over to the Galgalia Police Station for further legal action," an official said.

In another raid carried out during the evening of Friday, 410 grams of Brown Sugar were seized. "Around 6.20 p.m., acting on reliable information, a special patrolling party of the Kadomanijote Company of the 41 Bn SSB, Ranidanga, proceeded towards Aambari Village in Ghoshpukur on National Highway 327C. Three suspects were searched, and the narcotics were seized from their possession," the official said.

A drug detection kit declared the powdery substance to be Brown Sugar after a sniffer dog confirmed it to be drugs. The three persons apprehended in this connection have been identified as Akram Hossain (43), from Khagen Hat in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, Tapan Das (34), from Dakshin Palash, Matigara, Darjeeling, West Bengal, and Ebrahim Hoque (33), of Bhorkulagachh, Chopra, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal.

"During preliminary interrogation, the apprehended persons disclosed that the Brown Sugar was procured from an unidentified person at a shoe shop in Panjipara and was being taken to Ghoshpukur for delivery to a woman known only as “Didi”. They, along with the narcotics, have been handed over to the Phansidewa Police Station," the official added.

Source: IANS

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Bengaluru, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) Hundreds of video files, including alleged obscene and vulgar videos, have been recovered from a mobile phone seized from the cell of former JD(S) MP, Prajwal Revanna, who is convicted in a rape case, and another undertrial prisoner at Bengaluru Central Prison, police said on Saturday. The mobile phone was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination, and the report has confirmed the presence of the video files, police said.

The Parappana Agrahara police are investigating the case after the mobile phone was seized during a raid at Bengaluru Central Prison on August 11. The device was subsequently sent to the FSL for examination after Prajwal Revanna and undertrail prisoner Pratapa Rai, who are kept together in the cell, allegedly refused to provide the password despite repeated requests from the police.

According to the investigation, 173 files were found on the mobile phone. Among them were three alleged obscene videos involving Prajwal Revanna. The device also contained several other vulgar and obscene videos, along with movie clips in Kannada, Hindi and English, web series and other video content.

Police are also examining the communication records of the mobile phone. Investigators have found that video calls and WhatsApp calls were allegedly made from the device to several women. Police are particularly looking into calls made to women who had been seen with Prajwal Revanna in obscene videos before his arrest.

The pen drive reportedly contained more than 150 videos. Investigators are examining the contents of the pen drive as part of the probe.

Police were reportedly surprised by the nature of some of the content recovered from the devices. Investigators are also examining whether the women with whom Prajwal Revanna had allegedly communicated from prison had any connection with the material recovered.

Sources said the police are considering issuing notices to some of the women and questioning them as part of the investigation. The investigators are expected to question them about the calls and video calls allegedly made from the mobile phone.

The probe has also revealed that Prajwal Revanna allegedly used the mobile phone to remain in regular contact with several people while in prison.

He is suspected of having spoken to family members every day and also making video calls. Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, the son of former minister H.D. Revanna and nephew of Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. Prajwal Revanna also allegedly used the phone to contact his advocate.

The incident came to light after a video purportedly showing Prajwal Revanna speaking on a mobile phone inside the prison went viral on social media. Following the incident, the police conducted a search of the prison premises on August 11 and recovered the mobile phone.

The investigation has also led police to examine how the mobile phone was brought into the prison. Preliminary investigation has indicated that a prison warder allegedly provided the mobile phone to Prajwal Revanna. Police are also probing the alleged role of a rowdy-sheeter, identified as Thouseef, who is suspected to have supplied the device to the warder.

The police have registered a case in connection with the recovery of the mobile phone and are investigating the circumstances under which it was brought into the high-security prison.

The FSL examination of the device and the pen drive has become a key part of the investigation. Police are analysing the videos, call records and other digital material to establish how the devices were used and whether any prison rules or other laws were violated.

Investigators are also examining whether Prajwal Revanna continued communicating with people outside the prison on a regular basis and whether any of the calls or videos are connected to the cases for which he was convicted.

The Parappana Agrahara police are continuing their investigation, including questioning prison staff and examining the digital evidence recovered from the mobile phone and pen drive.

Source: IANS

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Chandigarh, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a first-ever extradition from Europe and a major breakthrough against transnational organised crime, Punjab Police with the assistance of central agencies secured the extradition of fugitive criminal Amritpal Singh, alias Amrit Dalam, a key operative of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, from the Republic of Moldova, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Saturday.

He is wanted in multiple cases of murders, attempt to murder, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act and Narcotic offences, etc, the DGP wrote on X.

He said this was the first-ever extradition secured by Punjab Police from a European country, marking a significant milestone in the fight against organised crime.

“The success of Operation Eastern Reach, a six-month Intelligence-led international manhunt, was made possible through sustained surveillance and close coordination of the AGTF (Anti-Gangster Task Force) Punjab and OFTEC (Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell) Punjab with central agencies and international partners,” the DGP said.

He commended the AGTF and the OFTEC for their relentless efforts.

The DGP also thanked the Moldovan authorities, Azerbaijan authorities, the International Police Cooperation Unit (IPCU) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs and all other central agencies as part of the international cooperation.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police's ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign entered its 235th day on Saturday. A day earlier, the police conducted 601 raids at identified and mapped locations linked to associates of gangsters across the state.

As per the information, after the campaign was launched by the Punjab DGP on January 20, police teams from all the districts in coordination with the AGTF have been conducting special operations across the state.

On Friday, police recovered four weapons and arrested 261 individuals, taking the total arrests to 69,703 since the launch of the campaign.

Apart from this, preventive action has been taken against 236 people. Police teams have also arrested eight proclaimed offenders during the operation, an official statement said.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday put an interim stay on the notice issued by the West Bengal Fire Services department last week, ordering immediate vacation of the Trinamool Congress General secretary and the party's Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee at Camac Street in Kolkata.

On September 4, the state fire services department served the vacation notice on grounds that the said office at the seventh and eighth floors of that building at Camac Street failed to comply with fire safety regulations.

In the notice, a written response has been sought within 48 hours, citing six types of irregularities in the fire safety system.

The Trinamool Congress, in due course, approached the Calcutta High Court, challenging the vacation notice.

The matter came up for hearing at the Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Krishna Rao.

At the end of the hearing, Justice Rao's bench had put an interim stay on the vacation notice till September 16.

On that day, the single-judge bench will pass the judgment in the matter.

Trinamool Congress' counsel and the former West Bengal Advocate General, Kishor Dutta, said that the vindictive nature of the vacation notice was evident from the fact that only the seventh and eighth floor of the building, which houses Abhishek Banerjee's office, had been declared unsafe as the fire safety norms are concerned.

In his counter argument, the current West Bengal Advocate General, Surajit Nath Mitra, said that the fire alarms were not operating at the seventh and eighth floors of the building, where the party office was situated.

He also added that the numbers of fire sprinklers at these two floors were much lesser compared to other floors of the building.

The counsel for the building owner, Rama Devi Goenka, told the court that the occupants of the seventh and eight floors had set up a cafeteria there without taking prior approval from the building owner.

Finally at the end of the hearing, Justice Rao's bench had put an interim stay on the vacation notice till September 16, when the judgment in the case will be pronounced.

The said Camac Street office had already been in the middle of controversy since last month.

Tension broke out on Camac Street on August 27 after Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) staff, accompanied by police personnel, reached the Trinamool Congress General Secretary's Camac Street office to remove the illegal billboard.

The KMC staff and police personnel faced stiff resistance from Trinamool Congress activists led by Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien and other party leaders.

Scuffles broke out between the police personnel and the Trinamool Congress activists.

In the three FIRs filed at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, the Kolkata police have accused the Trinamool Congress activists of not only assaulting the on-duty police officers but also attempting to outrage the modesty of a female police officer.

In two of the three FIRs filed, Abhishek Banerjee, O'Brien and other Trinamool Congress leaders, such as Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee, were named.

The police have arrested 14 people in this connection so far.

Abhishek Banerjee, O'Brien and Abhishek Banerjee's personal assistant Sumit Roy had already been questioned by the Kolkata police in the matter.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Sumit Roy, the Personal Assistant to Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, who was arrested by the sleuths of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police in connection with an alleged multi-crore land-grabbing case in Salboni of West Midnapore district was on Friday remanded to eight days of CID custody by a district court in the same district.

The CID sleuths arrested Roy from Abhishek Banerjee's residence at Kalighat Road in Kolkata on Thursday afternoon, nearly an hour after a division bench of the Supreme Court in the same morning cancelled his interim protection from coercive police action, including arrest in the matter.

On Friday morning, the CID officers first took Roy to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital in South Kolkata for medical checkup and then took him to West Midnapore and presented him at a district court there.

At the end of the hearing, the district court remanded him to eight days of CID custody, the public prosecutor in the matter Nazim Habib told media persons.

"There are multiple charges against Sumit Roy. In addition, a petition was filed regarding his physical condition. Along with this, a petition has also been filed to allow their advocates during interrogation. In that case, they have been asked to give the names of two advocates. After that, the court will examine whether it would be allowed or not. No bail application has been filed by them," Habib said.

Roy is the principal accused in the Salboni land scam case. His anticipatory bail plea was earlier rejected by the Calcutta High Court, following which he moved the Supreme Court seeking relief.

The matter was heard on Thursday by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Venkata Subba Rao Mohana.

With the withdrawal of interim protection, investigators faced no legal impediment in proceeding with the arrest.

The apex court bench said that, despite being given an opportunity, Sumit Roy did not properly cooperate in the process of investigation.

The arrest comes at a time when Abhishek Banerjee is abroad for ophthalmic treatment.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The uncertainty surrounding the Trinamool Congress's proposed public meeting at Sreerampore in West Bengal's Hooghly district, with former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the principal speaker, continued on Friday after a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court referred the matter back to the single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya for an early decision.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Friday. On Thursday, Justice Bhattacharyya's bench had granted conditional permission for the event but declined to allow a rally following the meeting.

However, the programme could not go ahead as planned after the state government approached a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, seeking clarification on a particular portion of the single-judge bench's order.

The state government argued that the police administration had little role in the matter because the owner of the ground selected by the Trinamool Congress for the event had objected to its use for a political programme.

It further contended that the private property is generally used for religious functions, leaving the administration unable to override the owner's objections.

After hearing the matter on Friday, the Division Bench sent the case back to the single-judge bench and directed it to dispose of the matter at the earliest. The Bench observed that the final decision should be taken after hearing the landowner's objections to the use of the venue for a political gathering.

The Division Bench requested Justice Bhattacharyya to hear the review application on September 18 and pass orders by September 25.

Since the Assembly elections, which resulted in a crushing defeat for the Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee has largely confined her political activities to Kolkata. The Sreerampore event was expected to be her first major political programme in a district outside the state capital after the elections.

Source: IANS

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Bengaluru, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the fake pharmaceuticals racket that was recently unearthed in Dodderi on the outskirts of Bengaluru in Ramanagara district, conducted raids at 10 locations across India. The raids were conducted at multiple locations in Karnataka, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana on Friday.

The operation was carried out jointly by the SIT and the Drugs Control Department as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged counterfeit medicine network.

Raids were conducted at multiple locations in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Mumbai, Chennai and Telangana.

Around 80 to 100 officials and staff members are involved in the searches, which targeted offices, properties and other premises linked to companies allegedly involved in manufacturing, repackaging and supplying counterfeit medicines.

In Bengaluru, searches were conducted at the premises of pharmaceutical company at Minerva Circle near Lalbagh as part of the probe.

Officials are examining medicines allegedly sourced from different locations and subsequently repackaged or supplied through the network. The investigation has reportedly revealed an international connection, with counterfeit labels allegedly being sourced from foreign locations.

The raids were conducted in continuation of the investigation into the racket that came to light around two weeks ago. Investigators are examining the supply chain, sources of the medicines, manufacturing and repackaging facilities, as well as the distribution network.

The case came to light in August 2026 after the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) and local police busted a major counterfeit medicine racket near Bidadi in Ramanagara district. Authorities seized counterfeit medicines estimated to be worth around Rs 5 crore and uncovered an alleged unlicenced repackaging facility operating from a farmhouse in Kurubara Karenahalli, near the Bidadi toll gate.

According to the investigation, low-cost, substandard or expired medicines were allegedly sourced from different states. The medicines were reportedly transferred into new vials and repackaged using counterfeit labels bearing the names of expensive and prominent multinational pharmaceutical brands before being sold at substantially higher prices.

The racket assumed greater significance after authorities found that some of the counterfeit medicines were allegedly intended for use in hospital Intensive Care Units (ICUs). The drugs were reportedly supplied to private hospitals and pharmacies at prices nearly 50 per cent lower than the market rates.

Karnataka Health Minister, U.T. Khader, had described the case as a major drug mafia operation and ordered steps to investigate the suspected inter-state network. The formation of the SIT was aimed at identifying the wider network and tracing those involved in sourcing, repackaging, labelling and distribution of the medicines.

The latest raids across six states are expected to help investigators establish the extent of the alleged network and identify other individuals and companies involved in the supply of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

Officials are also examining the alleged international links and the source of the counterfeit labels as part of the continuing investigation.

Source: IANS

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Ghaziabad, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) A Special CBI Court in Ghaziabad sentenced the then railway official posted in Agra to four years’ imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 in a case related to taking a Rs 35,000 bribe in 2016, an official said on Friday.

The Special CBI Court sentenced Sukh Deo Sharma, the then senior section engineer (electrical), traction distribution (TRD), headquarters, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer Office, Agra Cantonment, UP, to four years' imprisonment with a fine on Thursday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered the instant case on January 1, 2016 against the accused Sharma, said the official in a statement.

It was alleged that Sharma demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 70,000 from the complainant for providing approval in respect of five trailers/vehicles of a Mumbai-based private firm to cross the railway track from Rail Gate Patholl, Agra.

The CBI laid a trap on January 1, 2016 and caught Sharma red-handed while demanding and accepting an illegal gratification of Rs 35,000, other than legal remuneration, as the first instalment of the demanded illegal gratification, said the statement.

After completion of investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet against the accused on February 23, 2016 and charges were framed on March 21, 2016.

In a separate case, the CBI filed a charge sheet against an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, the then CEO of Chandigarh’s green energy society CREST, his wife and a company in which she worked as director in a case linked to misappropriation of Rs 75 crore official funds from IDFC First Bank accounts.

A CBI official said the charge sheet was filed against the then chief of Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) and forest service officer Navneet Srivastava, who is already in judicial custody, Vipam Consultancy and its director.

The accused have been charged with offences of criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine under BNS and offences of bribery, criminal misconduct and abetment under the Prevention of Corruption Act 2018, the CBI said.

Source: IANS

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Raipur/Durg, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Chhattisgarh’s Durg has sentenced a 24-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of his six-year-old “niece” in April 2025.

Additional Sessions Judge of the Fast Track Special Court (POCSO) convicted Somesh Yadav under Section 6(1) of the POCSO Act and Sections 103(1) and 238(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 under the POCSO Act and Section 103(1) of the BNS, with an additional one-year imprisonment in case of default. Under Section 238(a) of the BNS, the convict was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000, with one month’s additional imprisonment for non-payment.

BNS Section 238(a) deals with disappearance of evidence or giving false information. The sentences will run concurrently.

The court further directed that the family of the deceased child be paid Rs 7 lakh as compensation under the state government’s compensation scheme.

The case originated in April 2025 when the six-year-old girl was reported missing from the Mohan Nagar police station area in Durg. Her body was later recovered from a car parked near her residence.

Medical examination confirmed that she had been subjected to sexual assault. Police conducted DNA tests on four suspects. The samples matched those of the child’s uncle, Somesh Yadav. He was arrested and, during interrogation, confessed to the crime. A case of rape and murder was registered against him, and he was produced before the court.

During the trial, the prosecution established the charges through medical, forensic and other evidence. The court found the accused guilty on all counts and held that the crime warranted the maximum punishment prescribed under law. The convict remains in judicial custody. Further legal remedies available to him will follow the prescribed procedure.

Authorities have reiterated that crimes against minors will continue to be investigated and prosecuted with the highest priority.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Advocate Shubham Tyagi, who had been evading arrest in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse case, surrendered before the Patiala House Court on Friday, a day after the court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.

The Delhi Police has sought two days' custodial interrogation of Tyagi and co-accused Sudhanshu Lovenish Kumar, who is associated with the operation of the paying-guest (PG) facility at the building.

The development comes after Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler of the Patiala House Court rejected Tyagi's anticipatory bail plea on Thursday, saying that material collected during the investigation prima facie contradicted his claim that he was merely an investor in the PG business.

The court had recorded that a separate rent agreement showed Tyagi as a co-lessee of the second and third floors of Building number 14 at Satya Niketan Market in Moti Bagh-II, where the boys' PG was being operated.

The building collapse on September 6 had claimed seven lives, including five students and two labourers, while several others sustained injuries.

The FIR was registered at South Campus Police Station under Sections 105, 290 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), initially against unknown accused.

The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of building owners Urmila Gupta, Hari Ram Gupta and Mahesh Gupta alias Sanjay, contractor Sanoj and PG operator Sudhanshu Lovenish Kumar.

Tyagi had claimed before the court that he was an advocate practising at Patiala House Courts, had no criminal antecedents and was only an investor in the PG business run by his friend Lovenish Kumar.

He had contended that he was neither the owner of the building nor had any control or decision-making authority over its structure.

However, the prosecution produced a rent agreement dated September 6, 2025, executed between building owner Urmila Gupta and Tyagi for the second and third floors of the building.

The court said that the agreement was executed on the same day as another rent agreement relied upon by Tyagi, contained substantially identical terms and was attested by the same notary.

It also noted that Tyagi had signed Lovenish Kumar's agreement as a witness and Lovenish Kumar had similarly signed Tyagi's agreement.

The court had also relied on the statement of injured PG occupant Nitish Chib, who said that he had taken accommodation from Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar and was paying Rs 14,500 per month.

According to the statement, construction work had been underway in the basement for around 10 to 12 days before the collapse, while iron rods were also being cut on the ground floor.

The students had objected to the construction noise, following which Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar told them that renovation work was underway and that the PG would be extended to the basement.

The court had said that the statements were relevant at the anticipatory bail stage to examine Tyagi's claim that he had no knowledge of the construction activity and was merely involved financially.

However, the court had clarified that it was not recording any final finding on whether the offence under Section 105 of the BNS, relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, was ultimately made out against Tyagi.

It had also said that the investigation was at a nascent stage and that aspects, including the extent of the partnership between Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar, the flow of rent collected from students and their knowledge or consent regarding the structural work required further investigation.

The Satya Niketan collapse had also prompted proceedings before the Delhi High Court over alleged regulatory and municipal lapses, with the High Court directing inspections of PG accommodations amid concerns over the safety of such establishments in the national capital.

With Tyagi's surrender, the police are now seeking his custodial interrogation along with that of Lovenish Kumar as part of the ongoing investigation.

Source: IANS

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Bengaluru, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bengaluru police have cracked three cases involving the illegal supply and use of prohibited mobile phones inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, arresting nine people, including two prison warders, and uncovering an alleged network through which a mobile phone was smuggled into the jail by a warder and a SIM card was brought in through an undertrial prisoner.

The investigation also led police to a prohibited mobile phone, SIM card, charger and notebook recovered from the cell occupied by undertrial prisoner Prathap Rai and convicted former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna during a surprise inspection on August 11.

Police said the mobile phone was allegedly smuggled into the prison through a warder, while the SIM card was brought inside through an undertrial prisoner and was allegedly used by Rai and Prajwal Revanna.

Police said five people who had allegedly purchased the mobile phone and SIM card and facilitated their transportation into the prison were arrested at different stages of the investigation.

Technical data and interrogation of the accused helped investigators establish the alleged route through which the prohibited devices entered the prison.

Rai and Revanna were produced before a court on September 8 and taken into police custody for three days for interrogation in connection with the case. On September 10, following the court's order, both were sent back to prison.

The investigation into the first case began after prison authorities recovered four mobile phones, two SIM cards and a charger on January 13. Police traced the mobile numbers linked to the two Airtel SIM cards and obtained technical information through the CEIR portal to identify the devices in which they had been used.

The investigation led police to Srinivas Naik, a warder at the Central Prison, who was taken into custody on August 28. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to purchasing two of the phones under the fictitious name 'Rahul'. Police said Naik also confessed to purchasing around 12 mobile phones in a similar manner, keeping them in his possession and illegally supplying them inside the prison.

In the second case, a mobile phone and SIM card recovered from inside the prison on August 20 were traced through technical details and the phone's sale records. Police found that the device was initially sold to an agency in Andhra Pradesh before tracing it to Bharat alias Bhuvan, who had purchased it.

Further questioning allegedly revealed the involvement of Bharat alias KTM Bharat, who is currently in judicial custody at the Central Prison, and Vijay Kumar, a chief warder. Vijay Kumar was taken into custody on August 28 and allegedly confessed to his involvement. Police said technical data also indicated the involvement of other prison staff.

In the third case, police said the investigation revealed that the seized mobile phone had been brought into the prison through a warder, while the SIM card was allegedly brought through an undertrial prisoner. Naveen Kumar, Manjunath, Prakash, Siddiq and Mohammed Tauseef were arrested at different stages and subsequently remanded to judicial custody after interrogation.

Police said further investigation is underway to identify other inmates and prison staff involved in the illegal procurement, smuggling, supply and use of prohibited mobile phones inside the Central Prison.

The three cases were detected by a team of Parappana Agrahara Police Station under the guidance of M. Narayan, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Electronic City Division, and the leadership of Satish K.M., Assistant Commissioner of Police, Electronic City Sub-Division.

Source: IANS

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Kochi, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Kerala High Court on Friday came down heavily on the state government over the delay in granting prosecution sanction in the long-pending SNDP microfinance fraud case, questioning whether the repeated lapses were deliberate and aimed at delaying prosecution.

Justice A. Badharudeen expressed extreme displeasure after the Additional Chief Secretary, Backward Classes Development Department, who appeared personally before the court, said she had received the case files only on Thursday.

The court had directed last month that the question of prosecution sanction be considered.

However, the Special Public Prosecutor for Vigilance submitted that due to a communication gap, the files could be placed before the Additional Chief Secretary only late Thursday evening.

The court was informed that the files had now been transferred to the officer and that action would be taken within a week.

Justice Badharudeen made it clear that the government could not again cite non-receipt of the files as a reason for delay.

He directed that a decision be taken before the matter comes up on September 18.

“If the order is failed to be produced, the Chief Secretary would have to appear personally, the court warned.

The judge also took strong exception to the state's explanation that the failure was a mistake.

"A mistake may happen to anybody," the court observed, but said repeated lapses could not be treated as mistakes and could indicate intentional actions with ulterior motives.

It went further to question the alleged selective approach of the prosecution.

"Why are you saving certain accused from prosecution and moving against certain accused that you are not in good terms with?" the judge asked the state.

Justice Badharudeen said such a biased attitude could not be accepted, particularly in serious cases involving persons of public standing.

"These are all dilatory tactics being played," the court observed, warning that the matter would be viewed seriously.

The case relates to the alleged irregularities in the microfinance scheme associated with the SNDP Yogam.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had registered multiple cases in connection with the allegations involving SNDP office-bearers, including General Secretary Vellappally Natesan, and former managing directors of the Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation.

The High Court was hearing two petitions filed in 2020 seeking an SIT headed by an efficient officer to investigate the cases.

The matter will come up again on September 18.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the corruption cases related to the illegal construction of multi-storey buildings in certain pockets of Kolkata.

A division bench of new Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty also observed that, if necessary, the CBI will form a special investigation team (SIT) for the probe.

The CBI was directed to submit a preliminary report in the matter to the court by October 14.

There are allegations that several illegal multi-storey constructions in certain localities in Kolkata, namely Rajabazar, Beliaghata, Maniktala, and Canal East Road, were not demolished despite there being a clear order from the Calcutta High Court earlier.

A petition was filed at the Calcutta High Court, alleging that in addition to corruption worth several crores of rupees, there were also allegations of money laundering and illegal foreign currency investment in the illegal multi-storey construction business. There are also allegations of construction without minimum permits. As a result, the petitioner alleged that there is a risk to national security

During the hearing, the division bench observed that the state administration and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) should have initiated a suo motu probe in the matter. According to it, the KMC should have taken the initiative on its own to demolish such illegal constructions.

Even the submission from the KMC’s counsel seeking time to submit a detailed report in the matter could not satisfy the judges, who pointed out that 42 such high-rise constructions were identified as illegal by the court earlier.

Thereafter, the court accepted the plea from the petitioner for a CBI probe in the matter. It also directed the CBI to immediately initiate the preliminary investigation process by collecting the data and documents from the KMC and the Kolkata Police.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) A Delhi court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of advocate Shubham Tyagi in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse case, observing that his claim of being merely an investor in the paying-guest (PG) business was prima facie contradicted by a separate rent agreement showing him as a co-lessee of two floors of the building.

Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler of the Patiala House Court rejected Tyagi’s plea under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), stating that seven people, including five students and two labourers, had died in the collapse of Building No. 14 at Satya Niketan Market in Moti Bagh-II.

The court said the applicant’s own rent agreement, which was allegedly not disclosed in his bail application, showed that he had taken the second and third floors of the building on rent specifically for running a boys’ PG.

"A person who takes an old multi-storeyed structure on rent for the commercial purpose of housing students as paying guests, and who continues to operate that facility while structural work — including basement excavation and cutting of iron on the ground floor — is underway over the protests of the very occupants whose safety is in his charge, cannot, at this stage, be treated as being in the same position as an ordinary residential tenant who has no occasion to notice or act upon danger," it observed.

However, the Patiala House Court clarified that it was not recording any final finding on whether the offence under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, was ultimately made out against Tyagi.

The FIR, registered at South Campus Police Station on September 6 under Sections 105, 290 and 125(a) of the BNS, was initially against unknown accused.

The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of building owners Urmila Gupta, Hari Ram Gupta, and Mahesh Gupta alias Sanjay, as well as contractor Sanoj and PG operator Sudhanshu Lovenish Kumar.

Tyagi had approached the court claiming that he was an advocate practising at Patiala House Courts, had no criminal antecedents and was merely an investor in the PG business run by his friend Lovenish Kumar.

He contended that he was neither the building's owner nor had any control or decision-making authority over its structure. He also argued that the rent agreement relied upon by him was in Lovenish Kumar’s name and that the lease had expired on August 30.

The prosecution, opposing the plea, submitted that Tyagi was not merely an investor but a co-lessee and business partner of Lovenish Kumar and that both were jointly running PG accommodations under the name "Hostel Daze" at multiple buildings in Satya Niketan.

During the hearing, the probe agency produced another rent agreement dated September 6, 2025, executed between owner Urmila Gupta and Tyagi for the second and third floors of Building No. 14.

In its order, the court recorded that the two agreements were executed on the same day, contained substantially identical terms, and were attested by the same notary.

It further said that Tyagi had signed Lovenish Kumar’s agreement as a witness and vice versa.

"These contemporaneous documents, far from supporting the narrative of a mere friendly investment, prima facie indicate that Sudhanshu and the present applicant were jointly involved in taking the building on rent and in running it as a paying-guest facility," the court said.

It further observed that the suppression of Tyagi’s own rent agreement "amounts to an attempt to mislead this Court as to the true nature of the applicant’s connection with the premises".

The court also relied on the statement of the injured paying guest, Nitish Chib, who stated that he had taken accommodation from Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar and paid Rs 14,500 per month.

According to the statement, construction work had been underway in the basement for around 10 to 12 days, and iron rods were being cut on the ground floor.

When students raised objections over the construction noise, Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar told them that renovation was underway and that the PG would be extended to the basement.

The witness also claimed that the students were threatened with eviction when they objected to the construction.

The court said these statements were not being treated as conclusive proof of guilt but were relevant to determine whether Tyagi’s claim of having no knowledge of the construction and of playing only a financial role could be accepted at the anticipatory bail stage.

It observed that the precise structural cause of the collapse was still under expert examination, but said the material before it indicated that the building was old, had additional floors, and that construction work was underway before the collapse.

"It is sufficient for present purposes that the question is a live one, and that it cannot be shut out by the applicant’s self-serving description of himself as a mere investor," the court said while dealing with the invocation of Section 105 BNS.

On the question of custodial interrogation, the court said the investigation was at a nascent stage and that several aspects, including the extent of the partnership between Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar, the flow of rent collected from students, their knowledge or consent regarding the structural work and their interaction with the contractor and building owners, required further investigation.

It also rejected the argument that the absence of arrests of municipal or civic officials entitled Tyagi to anticipatory bail, saying that each accused had to be considered on the material available against him.

"The law does not create a separate standard of anticipatory bail for members of the legal profession," the court observed.

The Satya Niketan building collapse had claimed seven lives, with several other occupants sustaining injuries. The incident had prompted proceedings before the Delhi High Court over alleged regulatory and municipal lapses, while the criminal investigation focused on the role of the building owners, contractor, and persons associated with the PG's operation.

The Patiala House Court ultimately held that Tyagi’s case was not fit for grant of anticipatory bail and dismissed his application. It clarified that the observations were confined to the bail proceedings and would not prejudice the applicant at the stage of investigation, framing of charges or trial.

The court also said that any arrest should be made only in accordance with law and Supreme Court guidelines and that arrest should not be made as a matter of course but only when required for a fair and effective investigation.

Source: IANS

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Gandhinagar, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Gujarat has amended its panchayat tax rules to provide a complete exemption from property tax on one residential house owned or occupied by serving defence personnel, former soldiers and widows of soldiers who died in service, the state government said on Friday.

The decision was taken under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and follows an amendment to the Gujarat Gram and Nagar Panchayats Taxes and Fees Rules, 1964.

The exemption will apply to one residential property belonging to an eligible beneficiary within the jurisdiction of a gram panchayat in the state. The provision covers serving defence personnel and their spouses, former soldiers and widows of martyred soldiers.

The exemption is intended to reduce the tax burden on their residential homes and provide direct financial relief to them and their families. The provision for widows of soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice is also part of the amended rules.

The government said the measure was aimed at extending support to families of those who died while serving the nation. The decision was taken after the state government invited objections and suggestions on draft amendments.

The draft rules were published in the Extraordinary Gazette of the Gujarat Government in December 2025.

Following consideration of the objections and suggestions received, the government has now notified the final amendments.

The state government has notified the Gujarat Gram and Nagar Panchayats Taxes and Fees (Amendment) Rules, 2026 under the powers conferred by the Gujarat Panchayats Act, 1993.

The amended rules will come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

The government said the measure would provide financial relief to serving soldiers, veterans and widows of martyred soldiers by exempting their eligible residential houses from panchayat tax.

It described the decision as a gesture of respect and gratitude towards soldiers and their families.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Special public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee, handling the disproportionate assets case against arrested Trinamool Congress leader and former Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) councillor Debraj Chakraborty, has alleged that he received threatening phone calls warning him against pursuing the case and has now lodged a police complaint.

Speaking to media persons on Friday, public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee said a caller claiming to be a close associate of arrested former BMC councillor Debraj Chakraborty contacted him and sought to discuss the case. The caller allegedly claimed he was speaking on Chakraborty's instructions and warned the prosecutor not to "go too far" with the proceedings.

"The person was speaking in a threatening tone. The man told me not to go too far with Chakraborty’s case. After receiving the call, I approached the police and lodged a complaint at Baguiati Police Station," Chatterjee said.

According to him, the call was received while he was in his chamber. Chatterjee said the number appeared on the Truecaller application under the name "Raju Hasan, General Secretary, AB Supporter State Committee". He added that he was unaware of any such organisation but had furnished the number to police as part of his complaint.

The development comes amid ongoing legal proceedings against Debraj Chakraborty. Of the two FIRs registered against him at Baguiati Police Station, a charge sheet has already been filed in one case and charges are expected to be framed shortly, while investigation in the second case is continuing.

Chatterjee is currently appearing as the special public prosecutor in the matter and is also associated with several other high-profile cases in West Bengal, including proceedings against absconding Birbhum-based stone quarry businessman Tulu Mandal, alias Md Naxzibuddin.

Debraj Chakraborty, husband of former Trinamool Congress MLA and devotional singer Aditi Munsi, was arrested in July this year on multiple charges, including extortion and possession of disproportionate assets.

He also faces allegations related to an extortion racket, land grabbing, syndicate operations in the Bidhannagar area, and a case linked to post-poll violence in 2021. He is currently in judicial custody.

Source: IANS

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Srinagar, Sept 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Police in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K's) Kulgam district said on Friday it has arrested one person from whose possession 60 grams of heroin-like substance was recovered.

Police said that during dynamic naka checking on the National Highway near Navyug Tunnel on Friday, a naka party of Police Station Qazigund intercepted an Alto K10 bearing temporary registration No. JK01C-0049T.

“During the ensuing checking, a polythene bag containing approximately 60 grams of Heroin-like substance was recovered from a passenger travelling in the front seat of the vehicle.

“The passenger was identified as Sikandar Singh son of Vasakha Singh, resident of Moga, Punjab, and was taken into custody.

“In this connection, case FIR No. 20/2026 under Section 8/21 of the NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Qazigund, and investigation has been initiated," police said.

“The investigation is underway to establish the source and intended destination of the recovered contraband and to ascertain the involvement of any other persons in the drug-trafficking network.

“Kulgam Police reiterates its commitment to combating the menace of drug trafficking and urges the public to extend cooperation in identifying and reporting activities related to the illegal trade and distribution of narcotic substances,” it added.

Police in J&K has been carrying out aggressive operations against drug smugglers and drug peddlers and the operations are continuing unabated even after the 100-day-long Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyaan.

Properties created out of the proceeds of drug trade worth millions have been attached by police during the recent months. In addition to the penal action prescribed against such criminals, cancellation of passports, driving licences and Aadhaar card are additional penalties imposed on these criminals.

Police and the security forces believe that the funds generated through drug smuggling, hawala money rackets etc are finally used to sustain terrorism in J&K. In majority of the major drug networks busted by the authorities in J&K and Punjab, the trail was finally traced to Pakistan.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court has granted interim bail for 10 days to an accused who has been in custody for nearly six years in a case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), taking note of his minor child's hearing disability, his mother's health issues and the proposed eye surgery of his brother.

A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Augustine George Masih allowed the interim bail application moved by the accused and permitted his release from September 11 to September 21, subject to the terms and conditions to be imposed by the concerned trial court.

In its order, the Supreme Court recorded that the accused's minor child has been suffering from a hearing disability for a considerable period and had undergone bilateral cochlear implantation surgery.

The Justice Sundresh-led Bench also took note of the fact that his brother is likely to undergo eye surgery. "De hors the submissions that the applicant/petitioner wants to be with his minor child and mother, the further fact that the brother of the applicant/petitioner is likely to undergo an eye surgery, is not in dispute," the order said.

The Supreme Court further took into account that the accused has remained incarcerated for five years and 11 months. "Hence, in the facts and circumstances of the case, we are inclined to grant interim bail to the applicant/petitioner for a period of ten (10) days, commencing from 11.09.2026 to 21.09.2026," the order stated.

The apex court directed that the accused will surrender before the concerned jail authorities on or before 5 p.m. on September 21. It also clarified that the NIA would be at liberty to provide police escort to the accused at his own cost.

The interim bail plea was opposed by Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik, who submitted that the child's disability was long-standing, the mother did not require any urgent medical treatment, and the brother did not reside in the same household. However, the Supreme Court, after considering the rival submissions and the circumstances, granted the 10-day interim relief.

The accused is facing trial in an NIA case arising out of allegations concerning activities linked to the banned terrorist organisation Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).

Following an investigation into alleged pro-ISIS activities in Bengaluru, the NIA had registered the case in September 2020 under Sections 120B and 125 of the IPC and Sections 17, 18 and 18B of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The accused was arrested on October 7, 2020, after searches at his residential premises allegedly resulted in the seizure of incriminating digital and physical material, including a diary. The NIA subsequently filed a chargesheet against him and other accused.

The Karnataka High Court, while dismissing his bail appeal on January 29, rejected his contentions relating to delay in trial, non-furnishing of written grounds of arrest and his health condition.

The High Court had recorded that 19 of the 60 prosecution witnesses had been examined at that stage and directed the Special Court to expedite the trial. The accused thereafter approached the Supreme Court, which issued notice on his special leave petition (SLP) on March 20.

In a subsequent hearing on July 31, the Supreme Court was informed that 28 of the 62 witnesses had been examined.

The apex court then directed the Special Court to expedite the trial and endeavour to complete it within three months from that date. The matter has been listed for further hearing on November 18.

Source: IANS

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Surat, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Surat Cyber Crime Branch has arrested a 35-year-old man from Delhi for allegedly helping a cyber fraud network that digitally arrested a man and his wife for five days and made them transfer Rs 13 lakh on the pretext of verifying their bank accounts, police said on Friday.

The arrested accused has been identified as Afaq Alam Ansari, an equipment supplier residing in Malad West, Mumbai, and originally from Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh. Police said he was traced to Delhi following a technical investigation.

According to the police, the accused involved in the case contacted the complainant through phone and video calls and claimed that a SIM card had been obtained in his name and that a Canara Bank account had also been opened using his details.

They allegedly told him that large financial transactions had been carried out through the account.

The accused allegedly sent the complainant a fake identity card bearing the logos of Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Police, along with purported letters from the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Financial and Crime Branch, Mumbai Department, the Reserve Bank of India and the Supreme Court of India.

They allegedly told the complainant that the Canara Bank account in his name had been used in a money laundering and fraud case involving Naresh Goyal and that his own involvement in the case had also emerged.

The accused further threatened that an arrest warrant had been issued and that he would be arrested if he failed to cooperate with the investigation. The complainant and his wife were allegedly kept under digital arrest for five days.

The accused then told them that the money in their bank accounts had to be transferred for verification. Acting on their instructions, the complainant transferred a total of Rs 13 lakh to different bank accounts.

A case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 308(7), 204, 205, 336(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008.

Police said Alam had formed a firm in his own name, showing a Delhi address, and opened a current account with Yes Bank in the firm's name.

He allegedly handed over the bank account to an absconding accused in exchange for a commission of Rs three lakh. Investigators found that transactions totalling Rs 1,05,37,721 had taken place in Alam's current bank account between December 6, 2025 and January 21, 2026.

A check of the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) also revealed three complaints from different states linked to the account, involving alleged fraud of Rs 2,43,03,521.

The police appealed to people not to share personal or banking information with individuals claiming to be police or government officials through video or audio calls.

Police said officials do not digitally arrest or interrogate people by asking them to download Skype or other video-conferencing applications, nor do they demand money as a fine.

Police also advised people not to transfer money to accounts provided by persons impersonating police officers or other officials, even if they show arrest warrants or other documents online.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Delhi High Court has declined to grant immediate relief to three-time Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who had sought permission to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Thursday refused to grant an interim exemption to Phogat from the eligibility criteria prescribed by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for the selection trials, observing that the criteria applied uniformly to all athletes and could not be relaxed in favour of the petitioner alone at this stage.

Phogat had sought a direction to the WFI to provisionally include her in the eligibility pool and permit her to participate in the women’s selection trials scheduled for September 14 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

The High Court observed that while Phogat’s maternity-related absence would be considered while examining the validity and application of the WFI’s selection framework, the circumstances did not, at the interim stage, entitle her to participate contrary to the prescribed eligibility criteria.

“At this interim stage, therefore, this Court is of the view that the eligibility criteria applicable to all athletes ought not to be relaxed in favour of the petitioner alone, particularly when such relaxation may have consequences for other similarly situated athletes who are not before this Court,” Justice Sharma said.

The judgement recorded that the WFI’s September 7 circular prescribing eligibility criteria for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships was not framed specifically against Phogat and was applicable uniformly to athletes seeking to participate in the selection trials.

“Permitting the petitioner to participate by granting her a special dispensation, therefore, would not only be unfair to other athletes across the country who may have a similar grievance against the policy but are not before this Court, but would also have the effect of opening a Pandora’s box, with other athletes seeking similar exceptions from the prescribed eligibility criteria,” the Delhi High Court ruled.

It added that such a direction could not be issued without first examining and adjudicating upon the validity of the selection policy itself.

Phogat, through senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, had argued that the latest eligibility framework perpetuated an exclusionary system by making participation dependent on specified qualifying competitions, without providing any mechanism for athletes returning to competitive sport after pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum recovery.

However, Justice Sharma made it clear that the broader issue would require detailed consideration at the stage of final adjudication and observed, “The broader question as to whether a selection policy ought to provide an appropriate mechanism for athletes returning to competitive sport after pregnancy and childbirth, and whether the absence of such a mechanism renders the policy arbitrary or discriminatory, would also require detailed consideration at the stage of final adjudication of the writ petition.”

Phogat had remained away from active competition during 2024-25 due to pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum recovery.

The judgment recorded that the International Testing Agency, acting on behalf of United World Wrestling, had confirmed in July 2025 that she would be eligible to compete from January 1, 2026.

She had earlier challenged her exclusion from the Asian Games selection process before the Delhi High Court. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia had subsequently permitted her to participate in the Asian Games Selection Trials held on May 30, observing prima facie that motherhood could not operate to prejudice a woman in her career.

Phogat participated in the trials in the 53 kg category and reached the semi-final but was not ultimately selected for the Asian Games.

The single-judge Bench noted that the earlier interim relief granted by the Division Bench was in the context of the then prevailing Asian Games Selection Policy and the first show-cause notice issued against Phogat, and could not be construed as granting her a general or continuing exemption from eligibility requirements for subsequent competitions.

The High Court also noted that the WFI had issued a second show-cause notice against Phogat on June 17 concerning alleged misconduct during the very selection trials in which she had been permitted to participate.

“Without expressing any final opinion on the validity of the Circular dated 07.09.2026 or on the merits of the pending disciplinary proceedings, this Court is not inclined to grant the interim relief sought by the petitioner at this stage,” Justice Sharma said, dismissing Phogat’s application seeking permission to participate in the September 14 selection trials.

The main writ petition, challenging the WFI’s selection and disciplinary framework and seeking a fair, transparent and structured mechanism for women athletes returning to competitive sport after pregnancy and childbirth, will be heard next on September 29.

Source: IANS

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Bhopal/Sagar, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The prime accused in the Sagar spurious liquor tragedy, Ravi Lakhera, was injured in a brief exchange of fire with police in the Baraytha forest on Friday morning while attempting to evade arrest.

Lakhera sustained a bullet injury to his leg and was admitted to Banda Hospital for treatment. Police had announced a reward of Rs 20,000 for information leading to his arrest.

The encounter came as Madhya Pradesh Police intensified its crackdown on those allegedly involved in the manufacture and supply of spurious liquor in Sagar district, where the tragedy has triggered widespread concern.

The administration has officially confirmed 16 deaths in the incident so far. Three more patients undergoing treatment at Bundelkhand Medical College reportedly died on Thursday, though the higher casualty figure has not been officially confirmed.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has assured that stringent action will continue against all those responsible for the tragedy. "I have directed the administration to take strict action, and those responsible will not be spared," Yadav told reporters on Friday.

Referring to the police action against the prime accused, the Chief Minister said he had been informed about the encounter and reiterated that no person involved in the incident would be spared.

"We will not spare anyone responsible and will continue taking strict action against those involved in such incidents," he said.

The tragedy unfolded after several people in villages in the Banda-Shahgarh area allegedly consumed spurious liquor on the night of September 4-5. Several victims were subsequently admitted to hospitals with serious symptoms.

Police have so far named 33 people as accused in the case. Of them, 18, including Lakhera, have been arrested. One accused has died, another is undergoing treatment in hospital, while 13 others are absconding.

The administration has also launched action against properties allegedly linked to the accused.

On Thursday, bulldozers demolished illegal portions of five houses belonging to three accused -- Manish Lodhi, Chandrabhan Singh Rajput and Ashish Sahu.

The crackdown follows Yadav's directive for strict action against those involved in the tragedy and related illegal activities. The state government has also ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Source: IANS

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Hyderabad, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major breakthrough in the Madras Regiment arms theft case, Telangana Police have recovered the stolen arms and ammunition and taken into custody four suspects including a retired Army officer.

A joint team of Telangana Counter Intelligence Cell, Hyderabad Task Force and Malkajgiri Police cracked the case after an 11-day hunt.

The theft, reported on August 31, involved 12 firearms, 21 magazines, night-vision equipment and over 1,900 rounds of ammunition from the regiment’s facility at Bollaram in Secunderabad Cantonment.

According to police, those taken into custody include a retired Army officer who is suspected of plotting the theft over a grudge against a former Commanding Officer.

The investigators were questioning the suspects about their roles in stealing, transporting and concealing the weapons.

The stolen weapons and ammunition were recovered from Nagarkurnool district of Telangana. It was immediately not clear if the entire cache of stolen arms has been recovered.

Army officials were verifying the firearms, ammunition and other recovered articles against the armoury’s inventory.

Details of the case are likely to be announced by the authorities later.

Twelve firearms, including four AK-203 assault rifles, an INSAS rifle, six 9 mm pistols and a civilian 6.35-bore pistol, were reported missing from the Madras Regiment premises at Bollarum. A passive night-vision binocular, 21 magazines and more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition were also reportedly missing from the Army establishment.

The theft came to light on the morning of August 31, when Army personnel opened the Kote and Battalion Magazine, where weapons and ammunition were stored. They found that the locks of the premises and the boxes containing the weapons, control stores and ammunition had been broken.

A First Information Report registered with Bollarum Police Station of Malkajgiri Commissionerate stated that the weapons and ammunition had last been physically accounted for at about 6 p.m. on August 30, before the Kote and Battalion Magazine were closed.

A case was registered under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Army officials had ordered an internal enquiry and questioned guard-duty personnel who were on duty when the weapons went missing. Military Intelligence also investigated the case in coordination with the police.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) Taking note of the recent Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi that claimed seven lives and left 12 people injured, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed authorities across the country to file affidavits on the steps taken to comply with its earlier directions on unauthorised constructions.

A Bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan accepted the suggestion of amicus curiae Ajit Kumar Sinha to require authorities to place before the apex court reports on the action taken in terms of its earlier orders.

The matter was listed after the amicus curiae brought to the top court’s notice the "tragic incident" at Satya Niketan in the national capital’s Motibagh area, where a building collapse resulted in the death of seven persons and injuries to 12 others.

The Justice Amanullah-led Bench was informed that the Delhi High Court, while dealing with a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the Satya Niketan incident, had on September 7 directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to submit a report and scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 25.

The amicus curiae submitted that the High Court proceedings could continue, while the authorities should also submit a report before the Supreme Court covering the issues raised in the present proceedings.

The amicus further submitted that inspections had already been conducted in Delhi and Lucknow in the areas covered by the Supreme Court's earlier directions -- Lajpat Nagar, Malviya Nagar, Saket and Sarojini Nagar in Delhi, and Aliganj in Lucknow.

The top court was also told that the issues arising from the Satya Niketan collapse were already covered by the action being undertaken and reports to be submitted by the authorities in the present proceedings.

The amicus curiae suggested that the Supreme Court could either transfer the Delhi High Court proceedings and tag them with the present case or clarify that the High Court proceedings may continue while directing the authorities to additionally submit a report to the apex court on all issues raised in the ongoing matter.

Accepting the suggestion, the bench said it would, "for the present, do not disturb the position of the case before the High Court", which will continue.

"The High Court is requested to monitor the (PIL) case at short intervals," the apex court said.

Directing the matter to be listed on September 15 at 2 p.m., the Supreme Court ordered the parties concerned to file affidavits, "not limited to Delhi and Lucknow", regarding compliance with the directions issued from time to time.

The proceedings relate to the top court's continuing scrutiny of illegal and unauthorised constructions and the failure of civic authorities to take effective action despite repeated directions.

Earlier, the apex court had expressed concern over rampant illegal constructions and directed the constitution of an expert committee comprising senior professors and draughtsmen from IIT Delhi to inspect areas including Saket, Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar along with MCD officials and the amicus curiae.

It had also stressed that mere issuance of notices was insufficient and that authorities were required to take concrete measures, including sealing or demolition wherever warranted under law.

The proceedings assume significance in the wake of the Satya Niketan tragedy, where the collapse of a five-storeyed PG building highlighted wider concerns over structural safety and enforcement of building norms in Delhi.

The Delhi High Court, while hearing a PIL following the incident, had observed that responsibility for such accidents could not rest solely on the owner of a PG hostel and had also flagged the role of university authorities and the MCD in ensuring compliance with building bye-laws.

"Had the authorities been alive to their responsibilities and duties cast on them statutorily, perhaps, such incidents could have been avoided," it had observed.

The High Court had also directed the MCD to conduct an inquiry at the highest executive level to ascertain whether the collapsed building and other such structures had been constructed with valid permissions and in accordance with applicable building bye-laws, and to fix responsibility on officials if violations were found.

The incident has also prompted the Delhi government to initiate action against MCD officials, with five officials suspended and directions issued for a drive against buildings having unauthorised fifth floors.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) The scheduled public meeting of the former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Sreerampore in Hooghly district on Friday, which was given condition approval by a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, was stayed by a division bench of the same court.

Earlier in the day, the single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya gave conditional approval for the public meeting at Sreerampore with Mamata Banerjee as the principal speaker there, though refusing permission also for a public rally after the meeting.

However, immediately after the single-judge bench passed that order, the state government approached a division bench led by the new Calcutta High Court Chief Justice, Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty seeking clarification on a particular portion of the single-judge bench order.

In its order, the single-judge bench directed that the police should ensure that no untoward situation would arise over the public meeting.

However, in its plea to the division bench, the state government counsel said that while the state had no objection to the permission for the meeting, it had questions about the ground on which permission had been given for the meeting, considering that the ground was a private property.

In that case, the state government counsel noted that if the owner of the property would refuse to give permission to use that ground, the police had no role to play in that.

"That ground is used for religious purposes. Now the police cannot force the owner to allow a political force to hold a political meeting there. The police should be exempted from the issue of personal property. Else, the programme should be held at some other place," the state government counsel said.

The owner of the ground, too, had objected to organising the political programme of Mamata Banerjee's rally there.

The contention of the owner is that a ground which is used for religious purposes should not be used for political programmes.

On hearing the arguments of the state government and the owner of the ground, the division bench stayed the court order and instead said that the matter will be heard again on Friday at 12 noon.

Chief Justice Ghuge said that before holding political programs, there was a need to think about the common people and hence hold programmes in places where the common people would not face problems.

"Please find an alternative place," he added.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, on Thursday recommended a fresh set of appointments to the Delhi, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and Jharkhand High Courts.

The apex court Collegium has approved the proposal for appointment of judicial officers Usharani, K.S. Bharath Kumar and Nerale Veerabhadraiah Bhavani as Judges of the Karnataka High Court.

In its meeting held on Thursday, the SC Collegium also recommended the names of eight judicial officers for appointment as Judges of the Delhi High Court. The recommended judicial officers are Gurvinder Pal Singh, Nivedita Anil Sharma, Nisha Sahay Saxena, Sanjay Sharma-I, Bharat Parashar, Dr. (Smt.) Aditi Choudhary, Dinesh Bhatt, and Arun Bhardwaj.

"The Supreme Court Collegium, in its meeting held on 10th September, 2026 has approved the proposal for appointment of the following Judicial Officers as Judges of the High Court of Delhi," said a statement uploaded on the website of the apex court.

Further, the SC Collegium approved the proposal for appointment of judicial officer Yash Paul Bourney as a Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

It also recommended the appointment of judicial officers Manoj Prasad, Akhil Kumar, and Ram Sharma as Judges of the Jharkhand High Court.

As per the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) governing the appointment of High Court judges, the proposal for appointment is initiated by the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned in consultation with the two senior-most judges of that High Court. The recommendation is forwarded by the Chief Justice to the Chief Minister, who transmits it to the Governor. The Governor, in turn, forwards the proposal to the Union Minister of Law and Justice, along with relevant inputs and documents.

The proposal is then processed by the Centre before being placed before the Chief Justice of India (CJI), who consults the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court for finalising the recommendation.

Following the Collegium’s approval, the recommendation is sent to the Central government. The appointments take effect after the President signs the warrants of appointment, and the Department of Justice issues the notification in the Gazette of India.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice in a plea filed by Lok Prahari challenging provisions of the Uttar Pradesh law providing salary, allowances, pension, and other benefits to serving and former members of the state legislature.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, the Principal Secretaries of the Vidhan Sabha and the Vidhan Parishad on a petition filed by Lok Prahari through its General Secretary, S.N. Shukla, who appeared in person.

The matter has been tentatively listed for October 9.

The plea challenges various provisions of the Uttar Pradesh State Legislature (Members' Emoluments and Pension) Act, 1980, including those relating to constituency allowance, railway coupons, journey allowances, daily allowance, loans to members and pensionary benefits available to former MLAs and MLCs and their families.

Lok Prahari has contended that Article 195 of the Constitution empowers a state legislature to provide salaries and allowances to its members, but does not expressly mention pension or post-retirement benefits.

The petition seeks, among other reliefs, a direction to stop payment of pension and family pension to former MLAs and MLCs and their spouses, recovery of expenditure incurred under the allegedly illegal provisions, and establishment of an independent mechanism to recommend revision of salaries and allowances.

Earlier, the Allahabad High Court, in its judgment delivered on May 13, had dismissed the PIL, holding that the impugned provisions fell within the legislative competence of the state legislature and did not violate any constitutional limitation.

A Division Bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary had observed that Article 195, read with Entry 38 of List II of the Seventh Schedule, empowered the state legislature to provide various allowances to its members.

The High Court also relied on the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment in Lok Prahari v. Union of India, which had dealt with similar challenges concerning pension and other benefits for Members of Parliament.

The Allahabad High Court observed that the Supreme Court had held that the expression "allowances" in Entry 73 of List I was wide enough to cover pension and other benefits for MPs and former MPs.

It further rejected the argument that pension could be granted only to government employees, referring to the Supreme Court's observation that there are several categories of state payments described as pensions, including old-age, widow, and disability pensions.

The High Court also took note of similar rulings of the Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan High Courts upholding pensionary benefits for legislators. It held that the quantum of pension and allowances was essentially a matter of legislative policy and that courts could not interfere merely because they disagreed with the policy underlying such benefits.

"The determination of the quantum of benefits lies within the exclusive domain of the Legislature," the Allahabad High Court had said, adding that judicial review in such matters was limited to cases involving manifest arbitrariness, unreasonableness or a clear constitutional violation. Holding that the challenge was essentially rooted in a policy disagreement rather than a demonstrable constitutional infirmity, the High Court had dismissed the PIL.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) A Delhi court on Thursday declined an out-of-turn hearing on a bail plea filed by self-styled ‘influencer’ Swatantra Bhardwaj, who is in judicial custody in connection with the alleged assault of the father of a minor activist during a protest at Jantar Mantar.

Bhardwaj’s counsel had sought an immediate hearing on the bail application before the District Judge.

However, the Patiala House court declined to entertain the plea for an out-of-turn hearing and said the bail application would be taken up on September 14.

The development comes days after the Delhi High Court dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Bhardwaj challenging his arrest in the alleged assault case.

A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja had rejected the habeas corpus plea after the Delhi Police submitted that it was not maintainable as Bhardwaj had already been sent to judicial custody.

On Monday, the Patiala House Court sent Bhardwaj to 14 days of judicial custody, with his next production scheduled for September 21. Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district on Friday, hours after representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met senior Delhi Police officials and demanded his arrest.

According to the Delhi Police, Bhardwaj is accused of assaulting Sanjay Kumar, father of a minor protester, during a CJP-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar in July.

The police had earlier said that the victim’s injuries were "simple" in nature and were caused by a steel bracelet. It later added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the FIR.

The CJP had also demanded invocation of an attempt-to-murder charge, with the police stating that the provision would be considered after obtaining an expert medical opinion.

A separate FIR was also registered against Bhardwaj under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the complaint of the minor activist, who alleged online rape threats and harassment.

The case also invokes relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.

The controversy erupted after a purported viral video in which Bhardwaj allegedly claimed that he had physically assaulted the father of a minor activist during the Jantar Mantar demonstration and allegedly said that he was let off because of his "political connections". Bhardwaj later told the media that he had allegedly acted in self-defence.

Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV) chief Chirag Paswan had said that his name was "misused" by Bhardwaj in the purported video. Paswan had said that he filed an official complaint against Bhardwaj and would ensure justice for the minor victim and her family.

The CJP had staged a protest outside the Parliament Street Police Station demanding action against Bhardwaj and seeking the addition of attempt-to-murder, criminal intimidation and SC/ST Act provisions to the case.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Delhi High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing on the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) criminal revision petition challenging a trial court order refusing to take cognisance of its prosecution complaint against Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and others in the alleged National Herald money laundering case.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Manoj Jain deferred the matter and listed it for further hearing on October 9.

The ED has challenged the December 16, 2025, order passed by a Special Judge at the Rouse Avenue Court here, which had declined to take cognisance of its prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), holding that it was not maintainable in law.

Apart from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the ED has arrayed Congress Overseas chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited as proposed accused in the case.

The federal anti-money laundering agency has contended that the trial court erred in law by holding that a prosecution complaint under the PMLA cannot be founded on a scheduled offence arising from a private complaint.

Earlier, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, had argued that if the trial court's interpretation was allowed to stand, it would render the PMLA "otiose and redundant".

The ED has submitted that "the cognisance taken by the competent court on a private complaint stands on a much higher footing than the FIR registered by the police".

It further contended that criminal law can be set into motion either through police investigation or by way of a private complaint before a Magistrate, and therefore, the Special Judge could not have rejected the prosecution complaint on that ground alone.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had observed that "the matter requires consideration" and issued notice to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the other respondents on the revision petition.

The high-profile case relates to allegations that senior Congress leaders conspired to illegally acquire control over assets worth more than Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald newspaper, by paying a nominal sum of Rs 50 lakh through Young Indian, a company in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders.

The controversy over the National Herald's assets dates back to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint before a trial court alleging cheating and breach of trust in the acquisition of AJL by Young Indian.

Source: IANS

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Ranchi, Sep 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) Taking a serious view of the disruption of internet services in several areas of Ranchi during a drive to remove the web of internet and cable wires from electricity poles, the Jharkhand High Court has sought responses from all internet service providers and directed the immediate restoration of affected connections.

Hearing a public interest litigation registered suo motu on Thursday, a division bench of Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar asked the service providers to furnish details on the dates when connections were disconnected, the areas affected, the number of connections severed, and the number of services restored so far.

The bench also directed them to submit a compliance report after restoring the disrupted services.

During the hearing on Thursday, senior officials of the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL), including CMD Srinivasan, along with representatives of BSNL, Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea, appeared before the court in person.

The bench sought a status report from all telecom operators regarding the disruption and restoration of internet services.

The court observed that internet services for citizens could not remain disrupted indefinitely due to the ongoing exercise to remove cables from electric poles.

In an oral observation, the bench remarked that a "misunderstanding" of the court’s order had caused unnecessary inconvenience to the public.

The High Court also expressed strong displeasure over the conduct of BSNL Chief General Manager (CGM) Vipul Agrawal.

In connection with allegations that he spoke inappropriately to a High Court official over a phone call, the bench directed him to submit an unconditional written apology by September 14.

During the proceedings, counsels representing BSNL and Jio informed the court that the internet line serving the High Court had already been restored. They also assured the bench that internet connectivity for public utility services and private consumers affected by the drive would be restored at the earliest.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 16.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Delhi High Court has directed authorities across the country not to allow any GST registration without biometric-based Aadhaar authentication, observing that fraudulent registrations using stolen or frozen PAN and Aadhaar details were continuing despite measures announced by the government.

A bench of Justices Anil Khetarpal and Shail Jain passed the directions while hearing two petitions concerning allegations of fraudulent GST registrations obtained by using the PAN and Aadhaar details of innocent persons.

In its order, the High Court observed that the problem had been "rampant" since the enforcement of the CGST Act, 2017 and that nearly nine years had elapsed, yet the authorities had failed to curb the malpractice.

The Justice Khetarpal-led Bench observed that such fraudulent registrations not only cause harassment to citizens who have nothing to do with the businesses concerned, but also result in a "huge loss to the government".

During the hearing, the High Court was informed that biometric-based Aadhaar authentication was being carried out only when the GST registration system identified a case as "risky" on the basis of various parameters and data analytics.

The order referred to data disclosed by the Minister of State for Finance in the Rajya Sabha, according to which 2,800 fraudulent GST registrations using stolen or frozen PAN/Aadhaar details were detected in 2023-24, involving tax evasion of Rs 15,085 crore. In 2024-25, 1,654 fraudulent GST registrations were detected, involving tax evasion of Rs 13,109 crore.

The High Court recorded that although biometric Aadhaar-based authentication had been stated to have been made mandatory for GST registration, "despite passage of more than one year", the measure had not been fully implemented.

"It appears that despite passage of more than one year, the statement given by the minister on the floor of the house has not been fully implemented, resulting in continuous fake GST Registration obtained using stolen or frozen PAN/AADHAR details," the bench said.

It added that the competent authorities needed to "rise to the situation" as the issue was causing both revenue loss to the government and harassment to innocent citizens.

"Learned counsel representing the respondents (authorities) have failed to draw the attention of the court to any difficulty in mandating the biometric-based Aadhaar authentication of the GST Registration," it observed.

"Since, for the time being, directions are issued to all the authorities across the country not to allow any GST Registration without biometric-based Aadhaar authentication henceforth," the High Court ordered.

However, it granted liberty to the authorities to file objections regarding any practical difficulty in implementing the direction.

The bench also directed the authorities to examine a set of suggestions submitted by senior advocate Tarun Gulati, who had been requested to assist the court in finding ways to curb fraudulent GST registrations.

Among the suggestions are making facial recognition against the Aadhaar database mandatory for all GST registrations and introducing video-based verification requiring applicants to show their face along with the original PAN and Aadhaar cards.

The suggestions also include recording and preserving the IP address and device location used while filing a GST application, mandatory physical verification of the proposed principal place of business, and real-time sharing of registration data with the Income Tax Department.

Another proposal is to send a real-time message and email to the PAN holder informing them that their PAN has been used for GST registration, besides cross-checking the information with tax records.

The suggestions further call for flagging sudden and significant increases in turnover, real-time confirmation from the Aadhaar holder about knowledge of the business and principal place of business, and alerts through DigiLocker where available.

The senior counsel also suggested that the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management (DGARM) create specific risk parameters for PAN-Aadhaar mismatch and the "first time use of PAN/Aadhaar for GST".

On August 21, the Justice Khetarpal-led Bench noted that this was the second case before it where a petitioner alleged fraudulent GST registration by another person using their PAN and Aadhaar details.

"If the allegations of the Petitioner are to be accepted, there are rampant fraudulent GST Registration(s) in the name of innocent persons and pursuant to which huge liability is created thereafter," it had observed. It had subsequently granted the respondents a “last opportunity” to find an effective solution to the problem, warning that failing this, it would be left with "no choice but to pass appropriate and effective orders".

The matter has now been listed for further consideration on September 22.

Source: IANS

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