India

New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Eleven Opposition MPs in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 on Monday hit out at the ‘autocratic’ behaviour of Chairman Jagdambika Pal and his haste in accepting the 14 amendments proposed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members.

The MPs, anguished by the alleged lack of transparency and discussion in the Committee, likened the Chairman to a painter who enabled the Union government to give ‘saffron colour to this secular nation by using its brutal majority in Parliament’.

In a joint statement, the Opposition MPs said, “As the committee has arrived at its closure part of the deliberation, we the members of the opposition registered our protest then and there both in conducting the proceedings of the JWC by the chairman as well the gross and serious deviations from the rules and procedures contemplated thereon.”

Citing several instances of being denied the time to study documents, the MPs said they want to highlight a few wilful and wanton ‘disregards by the Chairman in sharing the details of deliberations of the Committee.

Objecting to the haste in the panel’s proceedings on Monday, the MPs slammed the Chairman for going ahead with clause-by-clause considerations without documents/depositions.

“Ignoring our claims, the chairman himself called the names of the mover of the amendments (given by us) and he himself moved the amendments on our behalf and conducted the head counts on his own desire. And he announced the rejection of our amendments, thereby, our sincere efforts to protect the constitutional assurances given to the minorities are being defeated,” wrote the MPs.

The awkward and solo acting of the Chairman himself for all the stakeholders of today's sitting made him a painter to enable the Union government to give saffron colour to this secular nation by using its brutal majority in the Parliament, the statement said.

The signatories of the statement are Kalyan Banerjee, Mohammad Jawed, A. Raja, Gaurav Gogoi, Asaduddin Owaisi, Syed Naseer Hussain, Mohibbullah, M. Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haque, and Imran Masood.

Expressing their helplessness in preventing the so-called lapses in the Committee, the MPs reached out to the people to protect the rights of minorities.

“We, the members of the opposition appeal to the people of India who stand for the constitutional values to come forward to preserve the labour and conviction put by our forefathers Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, Vallabhbhai Patel and others in the national building process with secular credentials and to protect the rights of minorities ensuring the social harmony of this sub-continent,” said the letter.

--IANS

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Chennai, Jan 27 (IANS) The Madras High Court has voiced serious concerns about security lapses within its premises after the Additional Advocate General (AAG), P. Kumaresan, presented a status report on allegations that country-made bombs were brought into the court and handed to accused individuals involved in the murder of State Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President, K. Armstrong.

The AAG submitted CCTV footage showing individuals carrying bombs concealed in lunch bags.

Six advocates implicated in the incident have been suspended by the Bar Council.

A division bench comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and N. Jothiraman was hearing a batch of petitions seeking to quash the invocation of the Goonda Act against the accused in Armstrong's murder case.

During the proceedings, the bench expressed concern over the potential consequences of the incident.

Justice Subramaniam remarked, "What if the bombs had exploded in the court? How many lives would we have lost? What if the blast damaged the statue of B.R. Ambedkar?"

The court invited opinions from stakeholders, including advocate associations, the police, and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), to strengthen security measures on the court campus.

It also advised advocates to cooperate with security checks, emphasising the need for sensitivity and vigilance.

The counsel for the petitioners, however, objected to the allegations, arguing that the investigation had not provided concrete evidence to substantiate the claims.

The bench scheduled the matter for further deliberation on January 29 to develop a comprehensive security solution.

K. Armstrong, a lawyer, and State BSP President, was brutally murdered on July 5, 2024, in front of his under-construction house in Perambur near Chennai.

An eight-member gang, led by Ponnai Balu -- the brother of slain gangster Arcot Suresh -- surrendered the same evening, confessing that the murder was in retaliation for Suresh's killing, which they claimed Armstrong had orchestrated.

Investigations by a special team formed by Chennai Police Commissioner M. Arun revealed that three gangs had conspired to plan the murder.

Armstrong was ultimately hacked to death by Balu and his associates.

Further inquiries revealed that gangster Nagendran, who has been in prison for 26 years, and another gangster, Sambhav Senthil, financed and orchestrated the murder.

Nagendran reportedly harboured a grudge against Armstrong, blaming him for stalling his son Ashwathaman's political career.

Ashwathaman, a lawyer and state office-bearer of the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress, has since been expelled from the party.

Sambhav Senthil allegedly had disputes with Armstrong over real estate dealings.

Twenty-seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder of the State BSP President.

Among them, 23 -- including Ponnai Balu and Ashwathaman -- are in Puzhal Central Prison. However, Sambhav Senthil and two associates, Krishna Kumar and Appu, are absconding.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the US President Donald Trump over phone on Monday evening, asserting that New Delhi remains committed to a "mutually beneficial and trusted partnership" with Washington.

"Delighted to speak with my dear friend President Donald Trump. Congratulated him on his historic second term. We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security," PM Modi posted on X after the phone call.

This was the first conversation between both leaders since US President Donald Trump took office, last week.

On January 20, PM Modi had congratulated Trump on his return to the White House for a historic second term.

"Congratulations my dear friend President Donald Trump on your historic inauguration as the 47th President of the United States! I look forward to working closely together once again, to benefit both our countries and to shape a better future for the world. Best wishes for a successful term ahead," wrote PM Modi as Trump took the oath at Capitol Rotunda.

PM Modi and Trump had also spoken soon after the Republican leader's triumph in the Presidential election.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote: "Had a great conversation with my friend, President Donald Trump, congratulating him on his spectacular victory. Looking forward to working closely together once again to further strengthen India-US relations across technology, defence, energy, space and several other sectors."

Both leaders had affirmed the resolution to work together for global peace. Trump was quoted saying that the whole world loves PM Modi, adding that India is a magnificent country and the Indian Prime Minister is a "magnificent man".

PM Modi had congratulated Trump on his victory in the US presidential elections, asserting that he is looking forward to renewing collaboration with the 78-year-old leader to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership.

Trump has already promised to strengthen the "great partnership" with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second term, continuing the close ties he forged in his first term.

In his Diwali 2024 greetings, Trump said: "Under my administration, we will strengthen our great partnership with India and my good friend, Prime Minister Modi."

--IANS

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Amaravati, Jan 27 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday made it clear that even one per cent corruption in implementation of welfare schemes will not be tolerated.

He directed government officers and employees to discharge their duties with the 'people first' policy keeping in view the public opinion and expectations.

Chairing a review meeting at the State Secretariat here after gathering public opinion on the functioning of various government wings, the Chief Minister made it clear that the word of the beneficiaries is final. He stated that the feedback that he gets from the ground level will only be taken into consideration.

Expressing happiness over the public satisfaction with the implementation of the policies from the ground level to the top level in certain departments, the Chief Minister felt that these results could be achieved following the best practices in the departments concerned and appreciated the heads and other officers of these wings.

At the same time, the Chief Minister was unhappy that certain departments could not achieve the expected results in these seven months and directed the officers to conduct an in-depth study for the reasons and take necessary corrective steps.

The Chief Minister, who held the review meeting following a survey conducted on 10 different issues in these departments, made it amply clear that the service part should be accelerated and quality, be improved. In the presentation made by the officers to the Chief Minister, 90.20 per cent of beneficiaries expressed satisfaction on pension distribution at their homes on 1st of every month while 87.48 per cent beneficiaries are happy over the manner of the pension distributors.

However, 15.6 per cent of pensioners complained of corruption at some places. With regard to Anna Canteens 91 per cent are happy with the quality, 82 per cent are satisfied with the maintenance of cleanliness while 84 per cent are content with a timely supply of food.

Similarly, 89.92 per cent farmers in the State are happy with the grain procurement system while 30 per cent expressed dissatisfaction over the supply of gunny bags and 84 per cent of farmers are totally happy with the reasonable price offered for their farm products.

After making a presentation on other wings, the Chief Minister directed the officers to initiate steps to see to it that the satisfaction level in the supply of sand and fertilizers should further go up.

Though 78 per cent of the people are happy with the supply of sand, the Chief Minister felt that the system of free sand should be further increased and that the satisfactory level should be 100 per cent.

--IANS

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Chandigarh, Jan 27 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday laid a roadmap for the all-round development of the state to mark the completion of 100 days of the BJP government.

The Chief Minister announced the government would develop 10 ultra-modern industrial towns across Haryana, modelled after IMT Kharkhoda, to further strengthen the state's industrial infrastructure.

The Chief Minister told the media here that 25,000 MW of electricity will be generated through renewable energy sources, which will be used to power industrial centres across the state and the NCR.

In a bid to address environmental concerns, particularly the discharge of chemical and industrial waste, the government will construct state-of-the-art sewerage treatment plants in Panipat, Faridabad, and Gurugram.

In addition, the government will expedite the construction of the Integrated Multi-Modal Logistics Hub in Narnaul and Mahendragarh to improve connectivity.

In collaboration with the central government’s PM Mega Integrated Textile Area and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme, Haryana will establish an integrated textile market in Ambala, the state's largest textile hub.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the government’s focus on the pharmaceutical sector, with plans to fast-track the establishment of a Pharma Park in Karnal, aimed at capitalising on the growing pharmaceutical industry through the Product Linked Incentive Scheme and the Haryana Pharmaceutical Policy of 2015.

A Defence and Aerospace Hub will be set up in Mahendragarh under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, which is expected to boost the state's presence in the defence sector.

To further support industrial growth, the state will develop a new 10,000-acre land bank through the e-Bhoomi portal.

Furthermore, a new policy will be introduced, requiring government institutions to pay an eight per cent interest on any delayed payments.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that these transformative measures will lay a strong foundation for Haryana's role in helping India achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said in the past 100 days the government has worked non-stop and completed 18 of the 240 ‘sankalps’ outlined in the Sankalp Patra.

Besides, work is underway at the site for six of the goals. The process to obtain both administrative and financial sanctions to complete an additional 50 decisions is currently underway.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Jan 27 (IANS) West Bengal Budget for the financial year 2025-26 will be presented in the Assembly on February 12, as per the decision taken at a meeting of the state cabinet at the state secretariat Nabanna on Monday which was presided over by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The budget session of the state Assembly will start on February 10 this year. However, on the first day, the session will be adjourned after the mandatory obituary mentions. The budget will be presented by the West Bengal minister in charge of finance (independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya before the crucial state assembly elections in 2026.

Next year before the elections there will be only a vote-on-account budget and the full budget next year will be presented only after the polls are over and the results are announced.

On February 1, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the Union budget for the financial year 2025-26 on the floor of the Parliament.

Sources in the state Finance Department said that considering that this will be the last full- budget before the state assembly elections in 2026, there is a possibility of enhancement in allocation under different welfare and doll schemes offered by the state government, especially for those which are women and youth-specific.

At the same time, there is a possibility of an announcement of the increase in the dearness allowance for the state government, which had been a long contentious issue with a case in the matter being pending at the Supreme Court.

Bhattacharya will be presenting the state budget next month amid the recently released 'Fiscal Health Index: 2025', report from NITI Aayog, has revealed the poor show of West Bengal in revenue mobilisation, expenditure quality and debt index.

Of the 18 states reviewed, West Bengal ranked 16th in the report. As per the report, West Bengal's spending on physical infrastructure as a proportion of the total expenditure has reduced from 5.3 per cent in 2018-19 to 3 per cent in 2022-23 which is lower than the national average.

Equality pathetic is the picture of capital expenditure as a proportion of total expenditure, which has reduced from 12.2 per cent in 2018-19 to 8.3 per cent in 2022-23 and is again lower than the national average.

Although the percentage under the head of social expenditure as a proportion of total expenditure had been comparatively higher in West Bengal at 28.2 per cent during the fiscal under review, the figure is again lower than the national average.

The report on 'Fiscal Health Index: 2025' has highlighted that while West Bengal's tax revenue was the major source of income for the state government primarily due to collection under SGST and hence grew at an annual rate of 6.6 per cent over the past five years, the state's non-tax revenue has witnessed a decline over the last five years.

At the same time, the report added, West Bengal's reliance on grants-in-aid as a proportion of revenue receipts has increased from 17.6 per cent in 2018-19 to 19.6 per cent in 2022-23.

The same report has pointed out that although West Bengal's debt as a percentage of gross state domestic product (GSDP) has declined from 40.7 per cent in 2010-11, the last financial year under the previous Left Front regime, to 35.7 per cent in 2018-19, the real cause of concern for the state government on this count is the interest payment on the accrued debt.

"Interest payments account for 20.47 per cent of Revenue Receipts in the current year, constraining the ability of the state to allocate funds for development," the report read.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, Jan 27 (IANS) The Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court, headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, reserved its judgment on Monday regarding the petition seeking an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. This decision followed the conclusion of arguments and counterarguments in the case.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is named as the first accused in the case, while his wife, B.M. Parvathi is the second accused. It has been alleged that Siddaramaiah used his political influence to secure compensation for 14 sites in the name of his wife in exchange for 3 acres and 16 guntas of land acquired by the MUDA.

The petitioner, Snehamayi Krishna, objected to the ongoing probe by the Karnataka Lokayukta and sought a CBI investigation into the scam.

While reserving the matter for judgment, the bench also directed the Karnataka Lokayukta to continue its investigation into the MUDA scam and to submit its further report on the day of the judgment.

Experts opined that, given the involvement of six prominent counsels who presented their arguments and cited Supreme Court judgments, the bench may take about a week to deliver its judgment.

Counsel Maninder Singh, representing the petitioner Snehamayi Krishna, submitted to the court on Monday that it is imperative for the MUDA scam to be investigated by the CBI or another independent agency to uphold public trust.

He emphasised that when prominent government figures are accused, an independent investigation becomes necessary.

"The entire Cabinet has taken a decision to protect Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in this case," Singh argued.

"From the outset, the submission has been to hand over the case to the CBI. This matter demands investigation by the CBI or another independent agency. There have been instances where the Supreme Court has directly handed over cases to the CBI," he added.

Singh further contended that CM Siddaramaiah should have voluntarily welcomed a CBI investigation.

On the other hand, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty requested the bench to allow more time for presenting arguments against the petition. He also prayed that the matter be taken up later when the court resumes functioning in Bengaluru after the vacation.

However, the bench refused to yield, directing the AG to place the arguments without any delay. The AG requested that counsel Kapil Sibal would appear before the court and sought time.

The bench, however, stated that the arguments could be placed through video conferencing. The AG then submitted that there was a technical issue with the video conferencing, following which the bench directed to fix the issue and place the arguments in the day only.

Senior Counsel Dushyanth Dave appearing for the fourth accused, land owner J. Devaraju in the MUDA case, submitted that his client is not facing criminal charges and, in this background, there is no necessity for the CBI probe. He further submitted that the petition had been filed to embarrass Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

"The petitioner earlier sought the Lokayukta investigation before the court and when the Lokayukta investigation was progressing, he submitted a petition seeking the CBI probe. The court should not waste a single moment over the petition," he argued. he added that while filing the complaint, the petitioner concealed many facts related to the case.

"The petitioner has concealed the order of mutation and revenue department documents which prove that Devaraju was the owner of the property," Dave said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Lokayukta on Monday submitted the status quo investigation report in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam to the High Court Dharwad bench.

Mysuru Lokayukta Superintendent of Police, T.J. Udesh submitted the report in a sealed cover to the court. The court had earlier directed the Lokayukta to submit the report without fail in this regard.

Commenting on the development, Snehamayi Krishna said: "I have full confidence that the case would be handed over to the CBI. The Lokayukta is not conducting the investigation appropriately. We have submitted the evidence and documents to prove that Lokayukta sleuths are colluded with the accused persons in the case.

“In this backdrop and taking the rampant corruption into consideration, based on the evidence and documents submitted in this regard, we are hoping that today the court will hand over the case to the CBI."

When asked about rumours claiming that CM Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi may get a clean chit in the Lokayukta investigation, Snehamayi Krishna stated: “I don’t have official information on this. I got to know through the media. It is impossible to give a clean chit to CM Siddaramaiah. We have provided enough documents to prove charges against him.”

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B.M. Parvathi, who is the second accused in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.

The ED has also issued a notice to the Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, the close confidante of CM Siddaramaiah.

Sources reveal that the ED had issued notice to CM’s wife and directed his wife Parvathi to appear before the ED officials on January 28 (Tuesday). Minister Suresh has also been asked to appear before the ED sleuths.

Following this, CM’s wife Parvathi and Minister Suresh have approached the Karnataka High Court questioning the summons issued to them by the ED.

--IANS

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Surat, January 27 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat, on Monday, began a sensing process at its Udhna office in Surat to evaluate prospective candidates for the by-election to the vacant Ward No 18.

The vacancy arose following the death of BJP Corporator Gemar Desai.

A team of two observers, including BJP MLA from Gandevi Assembly constituency Naresh Patel, has arrived in Surat to assess the candidates vying for the position.

As the dates for the local self-government by-elections were recently announced, the BJP is taking proactive steps to finalise its candidate for the by-election.

The sensing process, being conducted by the team of observers, is aimed at hearing from different aspiring candidates, who have shown interest in contesting for the vacant seat.

The process is expected to continue into Monday evening, party leaders said.

After gathering all necessary insights, the observers will compile a report, which will be submitted to the State Parliamentary Board for further evaluation.

A final decision will be made on which candidate will be nominated for the by-election.

The BJP has expressed confidence in securing a victory in this crucial seat.

Gujarat's local body elections are scheduled to take place on February 16.

The elections will include a range of local government bodies, such as municipal corporations, municipalities, and panchayats.

Voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with re-polling scheduled for February 17, if necessary.

The counting of votes will take place on February 18, and the entire election process is expected to be completed by February 21.

The elections will cover several areas, including the Junagadh Municipal Corporation and 66 municipalities, as well as three taluka panchayats.

Additionally, by-elections will be held for vacant seats in the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, and Surat.

However, the election date for the Kheda District Panchayat has not been announced yet.

In line with the state government's policies, the elections will include reservations for various communities.

About 27 per cent of the seats will be reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 14 per cent for Scheduled Tribes (STs), and 7 per cent for Scheduled Castes (SCs).

These reservations are aimed at ensuring equitable representation across different communities within the local governance structures.

The last local body elections in Gujarat were held two years ago, and since then, several municipalities and panchayats have been operating without elected representatives.

The upcoming elections are expected to address this gap and restore democratic processes at the grassroots level, ensuring more effective governance.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to kick off two major events on Tuesday, during his visit to Odisha and Uttarakhand.

PM Modi will inaugurate the ‘Utkarsh Odisha’ – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar at around 11 a.m. and then will travel to Dehradun in Uttarakhand to inaugurate the 38th National Games. This year, the theme of the National Games is titled ‘Green Games’.

Utkarsh Odisha is a flagship Global Investment Summit, being hosted by the state government, aimed at positioning Odisha as the anchor of the Purvodaya vision as well as the leading investment destination and industrial hub in India.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Make in Odisha Exhibition, highlighting the achievements of the state in developing a vibrant industrial ecosystem. The two-day conclave will be held from January 28-29. It will serve as a platform for industry leaders, investors, and policymakers to converge and discuss the opportunities in making Odisha, a preferred investment destination.

The conclave will host CEOs and Leaders’ Roundtables, Sectoral Sessions, B2B meetings, and Policy Discussions, ensuring targeted engagement with investors across the globe.

Later in the day, in Uttarakhand, PM Modi will inaugurate the 38th National Games in Dehradun. The ‘Green Games’ are being held in Uttarakhand during its Silver Jubilee year and will be organized in 11 cities across 8 districts of Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14.

About 36 states and one union territory will participate in the National Games and will see the competition in 35 sports disciplines spread over 17 days. Out of 35 disciplines, 33 sports will see players being rewarded with medals.

Yoga and Mallakhamb have been included in the National Games for the first time. More than 10,000 athletes from across the country will participate in the event.

A special park, called the Sports Forest, will be developed near the venue, where more than 10,000 saplings will be planted by athletes and guests.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing till January 22 on a plea filed by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain seeking interim bail for campaigning ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.

Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has fielded Tahir Hussain as a candidate from the Mustafabad constituency.

A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Ahsanuddin Amanullah sought the Delhi Police’s response observing that Tahir Hussain’s incarceration of over four years on the charge of being an instigator during the 2020 national capital riots would entitle him to regular bail.

“Suppose we are satisfied on merit that a ground is made for considering regular bail, why should we not grant him? We can’t shut our eyes to that,” the Justice Mithal-led Bench told the Delhi Police.

Ultimately, the apex court posted the matter for hearing on January 22, saying that “time for interim bail is expiring” and counsel for the Delhi Police will have to come prepared.

In no immediate relief to Tahir Hussain, the top court on Monday adjourned hearing on his petition seeking interim bail. The Justice Mithal-led Bench could not take up Tahir Hussain's special leave petition for hearing due to paucity of time but listed the matter for hearing on January 21.

When mentioned for urgent hearing, the apex court remarked: “It is easy to win elections sitting in jail. All such persons should be barred from contesting the elections."

Last week, the Delhi High Court turned down Tahir Hussain’s plea for interim bail but granted him parole to enable him to file nomination papers for the upcoming Assembly polls.

As per the order of the Delhi High Court, Tahir Hussain, while out on custody parole, will not have any access to the phone or the Internet, will not interact with any person except the officials concerned in the nomination process, and will not address the media.

Further, family members of Tahir Hussain may remain present, but they would not be permitted to click photographs of the filing of the nomination or to post the same on social media, the court order had said.

Disposing of Tahir Hussain's plea for interim bail, a bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna ruled: "Merely because the Applicant/Petitioner had earlier been a Municipal Councilor, cannot be a peculiar circumstance entitling him to grant the Interim Bail. Considering the antecedents, nature of allegations and having regard to the totality of circumstances, he (Tahir Hussain) is granted Custody Parole for subscribing the oath and to complete the formalities in respect of filing his Nomination Papers," it said.

On January 14, the Justice Krishna-led Bench reserved its decision after hearing the arguments raised by senior advocate Rebecca John, representing the former AAP councillor, and Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, who appeared on behalf of Delhi Police.

Opposing Hussain’s interim bail plea, ASG Sharma said that the AIMIM candidate, facing "gruesome allegations", may file his nomination papers from Tihar jail or under custody parole.

Sharma added that there is no fundamental right to contest elections and if released on interim bail, Hussain may influence witnesses.

"We are conceding that custody parole be granted to facilitate him to file nominations. Like others he can also contest,” he said, referring to the former AAP councillor's involvement in several criminal cases, including under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act).

On the other hand, senior advocate John pleaded that Tahir Hussain be released on interim bail, from January 16 to February 9, for filing nominations and for the election campaign. John repeatedly laid emphasis that Tahir Hussain be temporarily released for campaigning.

Tahir Hussain’s counsel argued that the former AAP councillor should be released on interim bail since he needed to file nomination papers physically and give a true account of his assets.

The counsel cited the interim bail granted to Jammu and Kashmir leader Engineer Rashid, accused in a terror funding case being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), for election-related purposes.

--IANS

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