LIVE! SC grants bail to ex-cop Pradeep Sharma

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Sat, 11 May 2024

SC grants bail to ex-cop Pradeep Sharma

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20:52 SC grants bail to ex-cop Pradeep Sharma

The Supreme Court has granted bail to former Mumbai Police officer Pradeep Sharma, awarded life sentence in the 2006 fake encounter killing case of gangster Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakkhan Bhaiya.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra, while passing the order on Friday, noted the submission of the lawyer for the Maharashtra government that the state had no objection to the court granting bail to Sharma.

Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Sidharth Luthra appeared for Sharma, while senior advocate R Basant represented the complainant and opposed the former officer's bail application.

The top court had earlier on April 8 said he need not surrender till further orders to undergo the life sentence awarded to him in the case.

While admitting Sharma's appeal against the March 19 Bombay high court verdict, the bench had said, "It is a case of reversal of acquittal by the high court, where the appeal is filed by the appellant. The statutory appeal is admitted for hearing. Issue notice on bail plea. The high court has directed him for surrender in three weeks. Till the next date of hearing, he need not surrender."

Sharma, who along with the likes of Daya Nayak, Vijay Salaskar and Ravindra Angre was part of a dreaded squad of Mumbai police that took on the city's underworld in the 1990s and 2000s and killed scores of alleged criminals, has challenged the Bombay high court order which sentenced him to life imprisonment in the fake encounter killing of Ramnarayan Gupta, an alleged close aide of gangster Chhota Rajan. -- PTI

Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Saturday said that the final decision regarding the acceptance of resignations of three Independent MLAs and initiating action under the anti-defection law would be taken by the end of May or early June.

The conduct of the Independent MLAs indicated that they were under 'duress' and therefore, an inquiry was initiated and an explanation was sought from them, the Speaker told reporters in Shimla.

Later, they were also issued notices when Congress leaders filed a fresh petition for action against these MLAs under the anti-defection law, he added.

Three Independent MLAs -- Hoshiyar Singh, Ashish Sharma and K L Thakur -- had voted in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27.

They resigned from the assembly on March 22 and joined the BJP the next day before their resignations were accepted and 'our Constitution does not permit Independent MLAs to join a political party', the Speaker said.

Both the parties (Independent and Congress legislators) were called on Saturday but they did not turn up, maybe due to electioneering and the final hearing would be held in May end or early June, he added.

Congress leaders Jagat Singh Negi and Harish Janartha had on April 24 filed a fresh petition with the Speaker for action against the three Independent MLAs under the anti-defection law.

They alleged that these Independent MLAs had resigned and joined the BJP even though their resignations were pending with the Speaker, which attracts action under the anti-defection law.

The Speaker had earlier issued a showcause notice to these legislators and sought an explanation from them till April 10 following a representation from the Congress legislative party that these MLAs allegedly resigned under duress, and not voluntarily.

The Independent MLAs had also moved the high court on April 10 for acceptance of their resignations but the case could not be decided as the division bench consisting of Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua expressed divergent views on whether the court can issue directions to the Speaker in this regard.

The matter will now be decided by a fresh bench.

19:34 Cong accepts invitation for Rahul-Modi debate

Lauding the initiative for a public debate on the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he or party chief Mallikarjun Kharge would be pleased to participate in such a discussion and expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also take part.

'It would be a positive initiative for the major parties to present their vision to the country from one platform for a healthy democracy,' Gandhi said in a post on X.

He also added that the nation expects Modi to participate in the debate.

The Congress leader shared on X his reply to Justice (Retd) Madan B Lokur, Justice (Retd) Ajit P Shah and N Ram, who had written to him and the prime minister earlier this week, inviting them to a platform for a debate on the key election issues.

In their letter addressed to the country's leaders, the trio had stated that the proposal for the debate was non-partisan and in the broader interest of every citizen.

Gandhi said he discussed the invitation with Kharge and they agreed that such a debate would help people understand 'our respective vision and enable them to make an informed choice'.

"It is also critical to put to rest any unsubstantiated allegations attributed to our respective parties. As the principal parties fighting the election, the public deserve to hear from their leaders directly," Gandhi said in his letter replying to the invitation.

"Accordingly, either myself or the Congress president would be pleased to participate in such a debate," he added.

The former Congress chief also said he looks forward to participating in a productive and historic debate.

"Please do let us know if and when the prime minister agrees to participate, following which we can discuss the details and format of the debate," he added.

In his post on X, accompanied by the letter, Gandhi said, "Congress welcomes this initiative and accepts the invitation for discussion. The country also expects the prime minister to take part in this dialogue."

At an event in Lucknow on Friday, answering a question from a member of the audience, Gandhi said he was '100 per cent' prepared to take on Modi in a debate and added that he knew the prime minister would not agree. -- PTI

18:31 65.68% turnout was recorded in Phase 3: EC

65.68 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Phase 3 of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, as per the Election Commission of India.

The third phase of the election was held at 93 seats across 11 states and a Union Territory on May 7. -- ANI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a 'puppet king' of 'tempo billionaires'.

Continuing his attack on Modi over his remarks on the Congress receiving 'cash loaded in tempos' from 'Adani and Ambani', the former Congress president also shared on X a video containing some excerpts from his speech at an event in Lucknow on Friday.

Along with video he posted in Hindi, "Narendra Modi is not a prime minister, he is a king. A 'puppet king' whose strings are in the hands of 'tempo billionaires'."

At the Lucknow event, Gandhi had accused the prime minister of attacking the Constitution, and said he is a 'king'.

"Modi ji is a king... He is not the prime minister, he is a king. He has nothing to do with the Cabinet, Parliament or the Constitution. He is the king of the 21st century and is the front for two or three financiers who have the real power," Gandhi had said at the event.

At a poll rally on Wednesday, Modi had accused the Congress of having a 'deal' with 'Ambani and Adani', and asked if the party had received 'tempo loads of black money' from the two industrialists for Gandhi to stop 'abusing' them.

In a change of narrative on the 'Ambani-Adani' issue, which was until now used by the Congress to attack Modi and his government at the Centre, the prime minister demanded that the party explain why it had stopped raising the issue as its 'shehzada (Gandhi)' used to do for the past five years and asked if it had struck a 'sauda (deal)'.

Gandhi and other Congress leaders have said the prime minister should order CBI or ED probe into whether Adani and Ambani had sent black money to the party. -- PTI

16:46 Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'

Prince William, the heir apparent to the British throne, on Friday said his wife Catherine is doing well, one of the royal's few comments about her condition since her cancer diagnosis.

The Prince of Wales made the remarks about Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, during a visit to St Mary's Community Hospital on the Isles of Scilly.

He was told about a new health and social care facility being built on Duchy land near the hospital.

The prince said his children, George, Charlotte and Louis, were 'very jealous' of his trip, and he may bring them to Cornwall later in the year.

He was given a letter by matron Lynda McHale, written by her granddaughter, that wished the Princess of Wales and King Charles well in their respective cancer recoveries.

The trip marks William's first official visit to the Isles of Scilly since becoming Duke of Cornwall, a title he holds in addition to his Prince of Wales title.

The 42-year-old Princess of Wales appealed for her family to have time, space and privacy when she announced her diagnosis of an undisclosed form of cancer on March 22.

She said she had begun chemotherapy. -- PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday claimed that it will be 'extremely difficult' for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form the next government in the country.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, along with Bihar allies Dipankar Bhattacharya, who heads the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist Liberation, and Manoj Kumar Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Kharge also said the PM's speeches, of late, have been 'devoid of the earlier spark'.

"I was addressing rallies in Andhra Pradesh when Modi was in adjoining Telangana. The bluster (abhiman) and pride (garv) that characterised his speeches in the past were missing, said Kharge.

"After three phases of Lok Sabha polls, I can safely say it is going to be extremely difficult for Modi to become the PM again -- a reason why he has given up speaking about achievements of his 10 years in power and is trying to create a Hindu-Muslim divide," the Congress chief alleged.

He also slammed the PM for holding out an olive branch to former BJP ally in Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar 'in a language unbecoming of a prime minister'. -- PTI

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15:12 Kerala man abandons bed-ridden father in rented house

A bedridden, elderly man was found abandoned by his son in a rented house without food and medicine for two days in Tripunithura in Kochi on Saturday.

The 70-year-old man, Shanmughan, was found in a room by the house-owner and neighbours, who later informed the police about his plight. They also served him food and water and took steps to provide him emergency medical care.

The other household articles were found shifted from the rented house by the son and his family but the father and his medical equipment were left there, local people said.

As the media widely reported the news, authorities shifted the bedridden man to the nearby taluk hospital.

The State Human Rights Commission swiftly intervened in the matter and registered a case on its own based on media reports.

Commission Member V K Beena Kumari directed the Tripunithura station house officer to submit a report within 10 days in this regard after conducting a probe.

Health and Social Justice Minister Veena George said Shanmughan would be provided adequate treatment and care.

"He is now shifted to the Tripunithura taluk hospital. Further care would be ensured with the support of the Social Justice Department," he said.

Tripunithura police said they would soon register a case against the son who abandoned the father.

The son was reportedly travelling to Velankanni along with his wife and children. -- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that all opposition leaders, including his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashvi Yadav, will be in jail if the Bharatiya Janata Party wins the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing his party workers at the AAP headquarters in New Delhi, Kejriwal asserted the BJP will not return to power and said the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will form the government on June 4.

"In last 20 hours after release from jail, I talked to poll experts and people and got to know the BJP is not going to form the government," said Kejriwal.

"The AAP will be part of the government at the Centre. We will get full statehood for Delhi," he added.

Kejriwal charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is asking for votes for Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"These people ask INDIA bloc about their face. I ask BJP who will be their PM? Modi ji is turning 75 on September 17 next year. He had made the rule that people aged 75 will be retired. They retired LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan," said Kejriwal.

"He will retire next year. He is seeking votes for making Amit Shah the prime minister. Will Shah fulfill Modi ji's guarantee?" he asked.

Kejriwal also claimed that if the BJP comes to power, the party will change Uttar Pradesh chief minister within two months.

While Kejriwal was in jail, the BJP had demanded his resignation.

Talking about why he did not resign, he said, "The chief minister's post is not important for me. I did not step down as the chief minister because a conspiracy was hatched to force me to resign on a fake case."

Kejriwal in a scathing attack on the BJP said all 'thieves and dacoits' are inducted by the party.

"If the prime minister wants to learn about fighting corruption, he should learn from Arvind Kejriwal. We sent corrupt to jail and even our own ministers," he added.

The chief minister also alleged that the 'prime minister has left no stone unturned to crush the AAP by sending its four top leaders to jail'. -- PTI

14:36 PoK belongs to India, asserts Amit Shah

In a scathing attack on the Congress and its leaders, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said due to the fear of Pakistan having atom bomb, the grand old party wants to give up India's rights over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

Addressing an election rally in Telangana, Shah alleged that Congress leader Mani Shankar Ayer said Pakistan has an atom bomb and hence India should not talk about Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"Due to fear of an atom bomb, they want to give up our rights over PoK. But you don't worry, Modi ji is going to be Prime Minister again and Pakistan's bullets will be replied to with cannon," Shah said.

Hitting out at Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over his remarks on 'surgical strikes', Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook strikes and finished terrorists.

Revanth Reddy on Friday claimed an intelligence failure in preventing the Pulwama incident.

"Modi ji tried to take political benefit from the surgical strike after Pulwama incident. My question to Modi ji is, what are you doing? Why did the Pulwama incident happen? Why did you let it happen? What are you doing about internal security? Why did you not use agencies like IB, RAW? It is your failure. Nobody knows if a surgical strike actually took place or not," Revanth Reddy had said. -- PTI

A 32-year-old man, who allegedly killed a minor girl after their proposed marriage was put off, was arrested on Saturday, police said.

The arrest comes two days after the 16-year-old girl was brutally killed by Prakash, who severed her head and took it along with him.

The incident was reported from Surlabbi village.

According to police, the girl had just completedLC this year and her engagement was fixed with Prakash on Thursday.

However, someone informed the Child Helpline number and officials from the Child Welfare Department reached the girl, Meena's house and counselled both the families saying that if they went ahead with the marriage, it would attract provisions of the POCSO Act and Child Marriage Act.

Both families agreed that only after Meena attained the age of 18 she would be married to Prakash.

The officials and the groom's family then left the place.

However, at around 5.30 pm on Thursday, Prakash barged into Meena's house, kicked her father and assaulted her mother with a sharp-edged weapon, generally used for cutting trees.

He then dragged the girl outside for about 100 metres, chopped off her head and fled the scene with it, Superintendent of Police (Kodagu), Ramarajan K, told PTI.

The victim's father and mother were admitted to a hospital where the woman was treated for her injuries.

"After an extensive search, the accused was arrested on Saturday," the police official added.

A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act, police said. -- PTI

A 40-year-old woman was stabbed to death, and her son sustained injuries in an attack by her former employer in Maharashtra's Jalna district, police said on Saturday.

The police have arrested the accused, Ganesh Katakde (45), for the attack that occurred in the Ramnagar area on Friday night, an official said.

The victim, Subhidra Vaidya, had recently quit her job at the accused's restaurant, but the latter kept harassing her to return to work, he said.

Katakde arrived at Vaidya's house in an inebriated state and asked her to return to work, and when she refused, he allegedly attacked her with a knife, the official said.

The woman's son Sachin (20) also sustained injuries when he intervened to save her, he said, adding that Vaidya succumbed to her injuries.

A case has been registered against the accused at Mauj Puri police station, the official said. -- PTI

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday asked the government what is stopping it from cancelling the diplomatic passport of suspended Janata Dal-Secular MP Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of sexual abuse.

The 33-year-old Hassan MP reportedly flew to Germany soon after the Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to order a probe into the sexual allegations against him after scores of explicit videos and pictures went viral on social media.

In a post on X, Ramesh questioned how Prajwal was allowed to escape.

"What is stopping the PM from having the diplomatic passport to Prajwal Revanna cancelled? How and why was he allowed to flee the country like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi were?" the Congress leader asked.

Prajwal, the grandson of Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, has been accused of sexual assault after several videos allegedly featuring him with multiple women surfaced.

He is the NDA candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, which went to polls on April 26.

The JD-S had formed an alliance with the BJP in 2023.

On Friday, one more rape case was registered against Prajwal, taking the number of cases pertaining to the alleged sexual abuse of several women to three, police sources said.

The FIR was registered against Prajwal on May 8 in Bengaluru, according to sources in the Special Investigation Team which was constituted for a probe after a huge cache of explicit videos allegedly showing the Hassan MP sexually abusing several women became public.

The first FIR pertains to molestation of his cook in Holenarasipura in Hassan. Prajwal's father and Holenarasipura MLA H D Revanna is also an accused in the case.

The second case pertains to raping a JD-S worker at gunpoint.

H D Revanna is currently lodged in the Central Jail at Parappara Agrahara in Bengaluru under judicial custody after a 20-year-old youth alleged that Revanna and his aide kidnapped his mother.

The youth said his mother had figured in one of the videos where she was allegedly tied and raped by Prajwal.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on May 2 said that Prajwal travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport and did not seek political clearance for the trip.

A Blue Corner notice of the Interpol seeking information on his whereabouts has also been issued against the Hassan MP. -- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his wife Sunita and Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on Saturday offered prayers at the Hanuman temple in central Delhi's Connaught Place.

A day after getting released from Tihar jail on interim bail, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal reached the historic temple to pay his obeisance.

Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP leaders including Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.

On Friday, the chief minister thanked Lord Hanuman as he stepped out of Tihar Jail on interim bail and sought people's support in his 'fight against dictatorship'.

Kejriwal will address a press conference at AAP office at 1 pm and will hold two roadshows in south Delhi and east Delhi parliamentary constituencies. -- PTI

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11:08 BSF opens fire on Pakistani drone along IB in J-K's Samba

Border Security Force personnel opened fire on Friday night to shoot down a Pakistani drone near the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said.

Troops of the BSF detected the movement of the drone from the Pakistan side late in the night and fired nearly two dozen rounds, they said on Saturday.

The drone, however, was flown back to the Pakistani side, the officials said.

They said a search operation was launched in Narayanpur in the Ramgarh sector on Saturday morning to sanitize the bordet outpost area to ensure the drone did not drop any weapons or narcotics. -- PTI

Ahead of his visit to the Hanuman temple at Connaught Place in the National Capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he is happy to be back with the prayers of crores of people and justice of the Supreme Court.

In a post on X, CM Kejriwal said, "With the blessings of Hanumanji, the prayers of crores of people and the justice of the Supreme Court judges, I am very happy to be back amongst you all.

"See you today- 11 am - Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place 1 pm - Press conference, party office 4 pm - Road Show - South Delhi - Mehrauli 6 pm - Road Show - East Delhi - Krishna Nagar You all must come," Kejriwal added.

Kejriwal spent over 50 days in Tihar Jail after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy case on March 21, days after the election schedule for the general elections was announced.

The bail is applicable till June 1 and Kejriwal has to surrender to authorities on June 2. The Delhi CM can participate in the poll campaigning but can not attend his office as Chief Minister. -- ANI

At least two people were killed and 23 injured in storm-related incidents as strong winds uprooted trees, electricity poles and led to portions of walls collapsing across Delhi.

Power was also disrupted in many areas as the dust storm swept the national capital late Friday night.

According to officials, they received 152 calls, including 130 made to the Delhi Fire Service (DFS), regarding incidents of uprooting of trees, electricity poles and hoardings.

They said 55 calls were also received about collapse of portions of buildings and structures in the city.

Additionally, the officials said that 202 calls were received regarding power disruptions during the storms in the national capital, the officials said.

Nine flights were also diverted at the Delhi airport late Friday evening due to bad weather, an official said. -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and advocate G Devaraje Gowda was arrested in connection with an explicit video allegedly belonging to Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.

According to police, Devaraje Gowda was arrested at Gulihal tollgate by the Hiriyur police in this district on Friday night for leaking the video in a pen drive.

He was arrested on a tip-off received by the Hassan police, which wanted his presence for the case.

Several explicit videos involving Prajwal started making the rounds ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, which took place on April 26.

The MP, a grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, is absconding and a 'blue corner' notice has been issued against him by Interpol.

Three FIRs, including charges of rape, molestation, intimidation, blackmailing and threatening, have been registered against Prajwal.

Devaraje Gowda is accused of leaking these videos, which he has categorically rejected.

He contested in the 2023 assembly elections against JD(S) MLA from Holenarasipura H D Revanna.

Revanna, father of Prajwal, is at present in jail on charges of kidnapping a woman, a mother of three. -- PTI

Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has said he was not happy with the court verdict in the Dr Narendra Dabholkar murder case and asserted that right-wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha was a "terrorist organisation" whose role in the killing of the renowned rationalist has not been made clear.

A special court for UAPA cases in Pune on Friday convicted and sentenced two men to life imprisonment and acquitted three in the case. Dr Dabholkar (67), an anti-superstition crusader, was shot dead while on a morning walk on a bridge near the Omkareshwar temple in Mumbai on August 20, 2013.

The special court convicted Dabholkar's two assailants -- Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar - and sentenced them to life imprisonment, but acquitted three others -- ENT surgeon Dr Virendrasinh Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave -- for want of evidence.

"I am not happy with the judgment. What is the role of the Sanatan Sanstha and who is the mastermind of the murder has not been made clear. Similarly, (it has not been made clear) if there is a link between Dabholkar's killing and the murders of Govind Pansare and Gauri Lankesh," Chavan said on Friday.

Chavan said when he was chief minister (between November 2010 and September 2014) the then ACS (Home) Umesh Sarangi had, based on an Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) report, recommended a ban on the Sanatan Sanstha under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

"There is a process for that where all states are asked about activities of the (concerned) organisation in their respective areas. Nothing happened for two years after which Dabholkar was killed. In 2014, we sent a 1000-page dossier to the Union home ministry (recommending a ban on the outfit)," he said.

"The demand for a ban on the Sanatan Sanstha is still pending with the Centre. The Sanatan Sanstha is a terrorist organisation," Chavan pointed out.

Incidentally, addressing a press conference in Pune after the court verdict in the Dabholkar case, the Sanatan Sanstha's spokesperson Abhay Vartak had slammed Chavan. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that India sent a special envoy to Israel during its war with the Hamas terror group, to urge them to maintain peace rather than engage in combat during the month of Ramadan.

In an interview with Republic TV, Modi stressed on Friday that Israel should not fight, at least during the auspicious month of Ramadan.

"The time when Israel and Hamas were at war. I sent my special envoy to Israel to explain that Ramadan is going on. At least don't fight in Ramadan, don't attack anyone," Modi said.

"Secondly, I said that during the month of Ramadan, whatever the people need, India wants to send them, there should not be any hindrance. So this is our character and when we do this, we don't brag about it. Sometimes we get success, sometimes we don't. But we are doing it," he said.

Earlier in March, responding to international pressure for a cease-fire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the idea of a pause for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying while he would 'like to see another hostage release', he didn't see any 'breakthrough in the negotiations ... Without a release, there's not going to be a pause in the fighting'. -- ANI

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