India

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear on May 9 a clutch of pleas in connection with the criminalisation of marital rape.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. Jaising submitted before the court that common compilation and the order of arguments in the case is ready.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the Centre's reply is ready and it has to be vetted, and added that he would argue the case for one-and-a-half days as it pertains to an important issue. The bench said, "List this on May 9, 2023".

On January 16, the Supreme Court sought response from the central government on a clutch of petitions seeking criminalisation of marital rape.

The top court decided to take up the matter itself instead of letting different high courts take a call.

In May last year, after the Delhi High Court's verdict that expressed 'split views' on criminalisation of marital rape, an appeal was moved in the Supreme Court challenging the exception to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code.

Also, in July last year, the top court had stayed the Karnataka High Court judgment, which allowed the trial of a husband for allegedly raping his wife. In May, the apex court had issued notice in the husband's plea against the Karnataka High Court judgment, however, it had then refused to stay the high court's judgment and trial proceedings. And, petitions have also been filed in the apex court seeking criminalisation of marital rape.

On May 11 last year, a high court bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher and Justice C. Hari Shankar expressed different opinions in the judgment on the exception to Section 375 of the IPC, which exempts forceful sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife from the offence of rape.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher supported striking down the contentious law stating that the exemption of the husband from the offence of marital rape is unconstitutional to which Justice Hari Shankar did not agree.

"The impugned provisions in so far as they concern a husband having intercourse with his wife without consent are violative of Article 14 and are therefore struckdown," said Justice Shakder.

--IANS
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Lucknow, March 17 (IANS) The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has claimed that more than 10,000 encounters have taken place between police and criminals in the state in the past six years during which 63 criminals had been killed.

A police personnel had also been martyred, according to a data released by the state government.

"In terms of number of encounters, Meerut is at the top in the state with the highest number of 3,152 encounters taking place since 2017, in which 63 criminals were killed and 1708 criminals were injured," the official release said.

During the same period, besides, a policeman was also martyred while 401 cops were injured during the police encounters.

A total of 5,967 criminals were nabbed during the action of the Uttar Pradesh Police.

"The Uttar Pradesh Police has conducted 10,713 encounters since 2017 of which the highest 3,152 were conducted by the Meerut police, followed by the Agra Police, which carried out 1844 encounters in which 4654 criminals were arrested while 14 dreaded criminals were killed and 55 cops were injured, and Bareilly where as many as 1497 encounters were conducted in which 3410 criminals were arrested while 7 died. During the encounters in Bareilly, 437 criminals were injured. In these operations, 296 brave police personnel were injured while one was martyred," the statement said.

It further read, "As soon as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took over the reins of the state, improving the law-and-order situation in the state became his priority. The government adopted zero tolerance policy against mafia and criminals and intensified crackdown on such elements to strengthen the state's law and order."

The statement added that the state which was once "known for poor law and order situation and atrocities of mafias on innocent people, today, is being known not only in the country but abroad as a 'crime and fear-free state'".

--IANS
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Bengaluru, March 17 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti suffered minor injuries after her car met an accident with a truck in Karnataka's Vijayapura district on Thursday night.

The minister was immediately rushed to a hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries, the police stated.

According to the police, the truck driver was drunk and has been arrested.

The minister's car was severely damaged after the fully loaded truck overturned in front of it.

The minister was in Karnataka to attend a Mahila Samellan organised by the ruling BJP, in the runup to assembly polls.

Speaking to reporters, she said, "By the grace of God, I am totally safe after a vehicle mishap in Karnataka. My driver has suffered some injuries in the accident. Please pray for his speedy recovery."

--IANS
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New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) User fee collection at toll plazas on National Highways (NHs) during the financial year 2021-22 was at Rs 34,742.56 crore, the government informed the Parliament on Thursday.

Among the states, Uttar Pradesh witnessed the toll collection of Rs 4,183.74 crore while Rajasthan and Gujarat recorded Rs 3,933 and Rs 3,642.40 crore user fee collection on NHs respectively during the year 2021-22, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a written reply to Parliament.

On a question, whether the government or the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has set any target of toll collection in current financial year 2023-24 and next three years, the ministry said that there is no such target set for current financial year as well for next three years.

However, user fee collection is expected to increase by 5 per cent due to annual traffic growth and by 3 per cent due to change in Wholesale Price Index (WPI) every year. Further, new fee plazas are put for commercial operation upon completion of NHs Stretch adding additional revenue every year, the ministry added.

--IANS
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New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday said that they have arrested five Superintendents of Customs and two private persons in connection with an on-going investigation of six forgery cases.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Kumar Alok, Keshav Pandhi, Hemant Gethe, Brijesh Kumar, Dinesh Kumar -- all Superintendents of Customs, and Deepak Parekh and Ashish Kamdar (private persons).

An official said the CBI has registered separate cases against six Superintendents of Customs, Mumbai, two private individuals and other unknown persons on the allegations that the said public servants a conspiracy with private persons during their posting at UB Centre, Jawaharlal Nehru Customs House, and misused the provision of "Transfer of Residence" under the Customs Act.

It was alleged that the said syndicate used passports of various persons, who had stayed abroad for more than two years, especially in Gulf countries, to import various items including household items, electronic items and other unknown items by firstly undervaluing the goods and further concealing some other undeclared items along with the other declared items.

"The goods imported should have been ideally imported for the person whose passport was declared before the Customs but the goods were actually imported for many other persons settled abroad and still living abroad. The passport holder was allegedly given Rs 15,000 for allowing his passport to be used. The said modus-operandi was adopted by the syndicate in connivance with the Customs officers," the CBI said.

The official said that kickbacks allegedly paid to these Customs officers were around Rs 2.38 crore in lieu of clearing of such illegal consignments.

Searches were conducted at 19 places in the premises of the accused and their accomplices, situated at Mumbai, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Motihari (Bihar), Kurukshetra and Rohtak, which led to the recovery of various incriminating documents.

The arrested accused were presented before the Special Judge, CBI cases at Alibagh in Maharashtra. They were remanded to five days' CBI custody.

--IANS
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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) A Delhi court has directed police to conduct a proper investigation into a case pertaining to looting during the 2020 riots while rejecting the anticipatory bail of an accused.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing the the pre-arrest bail plea of Sunder, accused in various offences, including rioting and arson during riots in the Bhajanpura area.

"The Investigating officer's report shows that till the time of moving the bail application, the applicant remained untraceable by the police. His name has been taken by several eyewitnesses and he is also reported to be appearing in the video footage and in these circumstances, I do not find the applicant entitled to pre-arrest bail," the court said, while rejecting the bail.

"At the same time, I am not very much satisfied with the kind of investigation done in the case, wherein no attempt has been made to recover any looted materials. Hence, the matter is referred to the station house officer (SHO) to ensure that a proper investigation is done in this case... IO shall hand over a copy of this order to SHO for compliance," the court said in its order passed on Wednesday.

The Investigation Officer's reply was noted by the court in which it was stated that on March 6, Sunder, after joining the probe, confessed to having looted and vandalised several stores, including mobile phone shops.

"Neither anything has been said about an attempt made to recover the looted articles, nor the requirement of further investigation or interrogation of the applicant and on the contrary has been said, the IO reports that custodial interrogation is not required," the court said.

--IANS
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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said it will run a nationwide campaign to seek Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's apology over his remarks on the country's democracy in London, if the Wayanad MP does not apologise.

Speaking at a press conference, former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Rahul Gandhi has insulted India on foreign soil for which he should apologise. The BJP will run a campaign for his apology."

Prasad said that it has become Rahul Gandhi's habit to insult the people of India and democracy on foreign soil. "How long will he mislead the country?" he questioned.

He said Rahul Gandhi does not apologise, the BJP will run a campaign against him in which the Congress leader will be exposed.

The BJP leader further said that "Rahul Gandhi has not expressed regret for his statement yet".

Addressing the former Congress president, Prasad said: "Your ego is not bigger than the country."

--IANS
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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) The Delhi Police on Thursday issued a notice to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to provide details about the victims of sexual harassment who had approached him seeking security.

A senior police officer said the notice was issued after the police took cognisance of social media posts and sent a list of questionnaires.

"Delhi Police has issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi to give details about those victims who approached him regarding their sexual harassment. Police have asked him to give details of these victims so that security can be provided to them," said the official.

" ... in one particular case, I asked a girl (who had been raped) if we should call the police? She said 'don't call the police... I will be shamed'," Rahul Gandhi had said during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar.

Reacting to the notice, the Congress in a statement said: "A government rattled by Rahul Gandhi's questions on Prime Minister Narenrda Modi and Gautam Adani's relationship hides behind its police. After 45 days of Bharat Jodo Yatra was completed, Delhi Police has, via a notice, sought details of women who met him and spoke about harassment and violence they may have faced.

"We will respond to the notice in due course in accordance with law. This notice is yet another proof of a government n panic and their latest salvo to weaken democracy, women empowerment, freedom of expression and role of the opposition," the statement added.

--IANS
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Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) The Mumbai Police late on Thursday arrested a fashionista and detained her brother, both from Ulhasnagar town, in connection with an alleged attempt to 'bribe, threaten and blackmail' Amruta Fadnavis, the banker-singer wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The sensational developments came a day after Amruta lodged a complaint with the Malabar Hill Police Station, accusing the father-daughter duo of Ulhasnagar of 'bribe-threats-blackmail'.

Moving swiftly, the Malabar Hill Police Station (Thursday) swooped to Thane town and detained the siblings -- a professional fashion designer Aniksha Jaisinghani and her brother Akshan -- while their bookie father, the other prime accused in the case, Anil Jaisinghani, is said to be absconding, officials said.

After they were brought to Mumbai on Thursday evening, Aniksha was arrested in the case.

The matter shot to limelight after the Nationalist Congress Party's Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar raised the matter in the Assembly, while state Congress president Nana Patole termed the matter as "serious" and demanded an in-depth probe into the entire matter on Thursday afternoon.

Confirming the developments, Fadnavis assured a full investigation into the whole imbroglio and even hinted at a political conspiracy hatched during the former Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime to target and tarnish him.

Later, Fadnavis told media-persons that his wife Amruta came in touch with Aniksha some 16 months ago, how she (Aniksha) had visited Fadnavis' home several times and won their confidence.

Anishka -- who first met them in 2015, and then renewed contact with the Fadnavis family since November 2021 -- had given Amruta some designer clothes, jewellery and other accessories requesting her to promote these at her social and public shows to enable her to support her family.

Subsequently, after gaining their trust, Aniksha had tried to give a bribe of Rs 1 crore to Amruta to help get her father (Anil Jaisinghani) off the hook in a criminal case, but when the latter did not fall for it and blocked her on the mobile, she (Aniksha) resorted to threats and blackmail.

Fadnavis said that Aniksha allegedly tried to lure and trap Amruta by revealing that her father was passing on information about bookies to the police, and said the Fadnavis couple could make money by directing the police to either ignore or act against those bookies, and they would show them more routes to rake in money.

A couple of days later, Aniksha sent some video clips, voice and text messages to Amruta from an unknown manner, he added.

Fadnavis has also pointed fingers at the erstwhile MVA government, saying a lot of sensational things including some big names, politicians and an ex-Commissioner of Police, are likely to tumble out in this matter and he would speak after the investigations.

The fashionista had dropped hints of her political links and how she could get the Fadnavis couple into trouble if they did not help to withdraw the cases against her father.

"She sent two videos... in one she is shown packing money into a bag which is seen in my house and in another handing over that bag to a maid working here. We had filed a FIR but did not make it public and a forensic analysis showed that the two bags were different," Fadnavis pointed out.

The accused girl also boasted of their connections by giving names of politicians and police officials including a former city police chief, and Fadnavis suspects that the plot was hatched during the MVA rule.

While Aniksha, a law graduate, currently has no cases lodged against her, the police are checking the antecedents of her brother Akshan as also the cases filed against their fugitive father.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Patole slammed the government, saying that if the family of the Deputy Chief Minister -- who is also the home minister controlling the police department -- is not safe, how can the people of the state feel secure?

--IANS
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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) The Union Health Ministry on Thursday wrote to six states - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, which have reported significant rise in the Covid cases in last week - to examine the Covid 19 situation at the micro level.

"India has observed a significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases during past few months. However, since past few weeks, a rise in cases has been noted specifically in certain parts of the country with a total of 2,082 cases reported in the week ending March 8, 2023 which rose to 3,264 cases in week ending March 15," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in the letter to the states.

He said that there are few states which are reporting higher number of cases indicating possible localised spread of infection and there is a need to follow a risk assessment-based approach to prevent & contain the infection, without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic.

The Health Ministry has advised that state should examine the situation of Covid-19 at micro level (district & sub-districts) and maintain focus on implementation of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of Covid-19 duly ensuring effective compliance with various advisories issued by the Ministry.

The five-fold strategy, i.e., Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination should be followed with continued focus on adequate & proactive testing as per guidelines, reads the letter. The states have been asked to monitor new and emerging clusters of new Covid-19 cases and also Influenza-like illness (ILI) & SARI cases in all health facilities.

"It is essential that the state must maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any areas of concern to control emerging spread of infection," Bhushan said in the letter.

--IANS
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