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Plea in SC challenging delimitation exercise in J&K

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A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court challenging the March 2020 decision of the Central government to appoint a Delimitation Commission to redraw the constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir.

The plea moved by Haji Abdul Gani Khan and Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mattoo, both residents of Kashmir, sought directions seeking a declaration that an increase of number of seats from 107 to 114 in the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir is ultra vires the constitutional provisions such as Articles 81, 82, 170, 330, and 332 and statutory provisions particularly under section 63 of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

The plea also urged the top court to issue a direction to declare notification issued on March 6, 2020 constituting the Delimitation Commission to take up delimitation in the UT of J&K and states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland as violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.

“In fact, in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the census operation was completed in 2001, but the delimitation was done in 1995. Even on this count, the entire process adopted is unconstitutional as there was no population census operation during 2011 at all for Jammu and Kashmir,” said the plea.

The plea argued that if August 5, 2019 was to unite the Jammu and Kashmir state with India, then the delimitation process defeats the “new order” of one nation and one Constitution in the country. It said: “While Article 170 of the Constitution of India provides that the next delimitation in the country will be taken up after 2026, why has the UT of Jammu and Kashmir been singled out?”

The plea added that after the census of 2001, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly amended ‘Section 47’ of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, vide the Jammu and Kashmir (Twenty-nine amendment) Act, 2002, to put on hold the delimitation exercise till after 2026, identical to and in tune with Article 170 of the Indian Constitution.

“Issuance of Notification by the Law and Legislative Department appointing the Delimitation Commission is without jurisdiction, unconstitutional and ultra vires to the election laws apart from J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019,” it added.

The plea contended that any move to increase the number of seats in Jammu and Kashmir must be preceded by a constitutional amendment, besides the amendment of elections laws, namely, the Delimitation Act, 2002 and the Representation of People Act, 1950.

It added that the Delimitation Commission had issued guidelines and methodology for the Delimitation of Assembly and parliamentary constituencies on July 5, 2004, along with the constitutional and legal provisions. “It clearly stated that the total number of existing seats in the Legislative Assemblies of all states, including UTs of the National Capital Region and Pondicherry, as fixed based on the 1971 census shall remain unaltered till the first census to be taken after the year 2026,” it added.

Crime

Mumbai Customs Seizes ₹3.72 Crore Gold Dust, Hydroponic Weed In Two Separate Cases At CSMI Airport

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Mumbai: During the duty of 07.08.2025, the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III, made a significant seizure of contrabands at the CSMI airport. The operation resulted in the seizure of 0.947 Kg of suspected Hydroponic Weed (Marijuana) valued at approximately ₹0.94 crores, gold dust weighing 3.02Kg valued at Rs. 2.78 crores, across 02 cases.

02 persons were arrested.

Highlights of the cases:

Case 1: (07.08.2025)

24 Kt gold dust in wax (06 pcs) having net weight 3020 grams valued at Rs. 2.78 crores was recovered from an airlines staff. The gold was found concealed inside innerwear in specially designed belt. The airlines staff was arrested under the provisions of Customs Act, 1962.

Case 2: (07.08.2025)

A passenger who had arrived from Bangkok to Mumbai was intercepted and the contraband i.e. 947 grams Approximately valued at Rs.0.94 crore of greenish coloured in lumps form purported to be Hydroponic Weed (Marijuana) was recovered. The said recovered contraband was concealed in vacuum sealed plastic packets kept inside trolley bag carried by the passenger. 01 person was arrested under the provision of NDPS Act, 1985.

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Crime

Thane: 55-Year-Old Man Attempts Suicide After Mumbai Police Arrive To Arrest Him For Sexually Assaulting Minor Girl In Badlapur

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Thane: A 55-year-old man allegedly attempted suicide after a Mumbai Police team arrived at his residence in Badlapur, Thane, on Tuesday night to arrest him for the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl. The girl is the daughter of a bedridden man whom the accused had been hired to care for.

A police officer investigating the sexual assault case said on Thursday, “The man was immediately rushed to the nearby private hospital, where he lay unconscious for almost 36 hours, and currently his condition is stable.

According to the police complaint, the minor girl’s father suffered a paralytic attack last year. The accused was hired in May to care for him from 8 am to 8 pm. During this time, the man allegedly began sexually assaulting the minor and made obscene remarks after her mother left for work.

Despite being warned by the girl’s mother, the man continued to harass her. On July 28, he allegedly entered her bedroom and harassed her again, prompting the girl and her mother to approach the police.

On Tuesday, the police traced the accused’s location to Badlapur, prompting a team consisting of two assistant police inspectors and three to four constables to reach the spot. Around 10 PM, the man locked himself inside his house and began threatening to end his life. Despite the police’s efforts to calm him down, he allegedly attempted suicide. Officers then broke open the door and rushed him to the hospital, said an officer involved in the investigation.

The Police registered a case against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on July 29, following a complaint by the minor girl and her mother, who reported the harassment that occurred on July 28, as reported.

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Crime

Anti-Human Trafficking Unit Nabs 30-Year-Old For Trafficking Women In Navi Mumbai

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Navi Mumbai: The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) has arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly running a sex racket using mobile phones to share photographs of women with potential clients and arranging their services. Two women were rescued during the operation, which took place near a hotel in the APMC area of Navi Mumbai.

The arrested accused, identified as Rahul Lakhmeshwar Mahto, was caught red-handed on the night of August 4 after he arrived in a taxi near Hotel Fantasy Residency in Sector 19C, APMC, with two women. He had allegedly arranged a deal with a decoy customer and accepted Rs 4,000 in cash for sexual services. Once the transaction was completed, the decoy gave the pre-decided signal, following which the AHTC team conducted a raid and apprehended Mahto.

According to police officials, Mahto was part of an online prostitution racket operating across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The AHTC had earlier received intelligence about the gang’s activities and accordingly laid a trap under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade. The team, including API Yogesh Deshmukh and Police Constable Anil Mandoḷe, posed as customers to initiate the bust.

Investigations revealed that the two rescued women had been sent for prostitution by two other agents, identified as Kamesh and Kurban Ansari, who are currently absconding.

“We have registered a case under relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act at the APMC Police Station. We are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining members of the trafficking network,” a police officer from AHTU said.

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