Crime
SC reserves verdict on gangster Abu Salem’s plea challenging life sentence
The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on a plea by gangster Abu Salem claiming that, as per the extradition treaty between India and Portugal, his jail terms cannot extend beyond 25 years.
Advocate Rishi Malhotra, representing Abu Salem, contended before a bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul that the assurance was given to the Portugal government by the Indian government, that Abu Salem will not be either awarded death penalty or punished beyond 25 years, but, he has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted in Mumbai serial bomb blasts.
The bench, also comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh, observed that the courts are not bound by the assurance given by the government, however the government may practice its executive power.
Malhotra submitted that Abu Salem was in custody in Portugal since 2002, and he was arrested following a ‘Red Corner Notice’. He added that extradition process started in 2003 and went for almost 2 years — and in 2005, he was handed over to India.
At this, the bench queried the Central government as to what would be the starting point of Abu Salem’s detention.
Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, representing the Central government, said it will start by the time, when “we took him into custody and for the part of assurance, we’ll consider it but on the part of the judiciary, it can be decided independently”.
After hearing detailed arguments in the matter, the top court reserved its order on Salem’s plea.
On April 21, the Supreme Court had strongly objected to some statements made by the Union Home Secretary, in an affidavit on honouring assurance made to Portugal during Abu Salem’s extradition, saying the judiciary does not need “lecturing” from the Home Secretary in the matter.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla had told the court that the Indian government is bound by its assurance given to the Portugal government during the extradition of Abu Salem but the question of honouring its assurance will arise only when the period of 25 years is to expire.
“The government of India gave an assurance vide letter dated December 17, 2002, to the government of Portugal. This assurance is an executive assurance given by one country to other in the exercise of their executive functions.
“The period of 25 years which is mentioned in the assurance will be abided by the Union of India at an appropriate time subject to the remedies which may be available. The question of the Union of India honouring its assurance dated December 17, 2002, will arise only when the period of 25 years is to expire. This date is November 10, 2030,” he had said in the affidavit.
The affidavit said before this date, the convict cannot raise any arguments based on the assurance, therefore the contention of the petitioner about non-compliance of assurance is premature and based on hypothetical surmises and can never be raised in present proceedings.
“The government of India will abide by the said assurance….subject to the rights which may be available at that stage. The attempt of convict-appellant to club that assurance with merits of the present case is legally untenable as the appeals need to be decided in accordance with Section 19 of the TADA read with other provisions governing criminal procedure,” said the affidavit.
Crime
Tripura: Police Seize 44 Kg Of Drugs Worth Rs 2.52 Lakh At Agartala Railway Station
Agartala (Tripura): Agartala Government Railway (GRP) Police seized 44 kg of drugs worth Rs 2.52 lakhs at Agartala Railway Station, railway police said on Tuesday.
About The Seizure
Acting on a tip-off, police on Tuesday conducted a search near the 13th rail track on the Agartala to Jirania route, near Agartala Railway Station. During the operation, authorities recovered 44 kg of dried cannabis from bushes alongside the tracks. The narcotics were allegedly being smuggled out of the state via train.
According to the police, the seized cannabis has an estimated market value of approximately Rs 2.52 lakhs. The Agartala GRP (Government Railway Police) station has launched an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for this illegal consignment. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Crime
Andhra Pradesh Govt Suspends Three IPS Officers Over Actress Harassment Case
The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday suspended three senior IPS officers following an inquiry into the allegations made by a Mumbai-based actress, Kadambari Jethwani. The state government issued orders suspending P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu, then Director General of Police, Intelligence; Kanthi Rana Tata, the then Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, and Vishal Gunni, then Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada.
She and her parents allegedly faced harassment at the hands of police officers at the instance of a leader of YSR Congress, which was then the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh. The suspensions were issued under Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969. Sitharama Anjaneyulu has been suspended on allegations of misuse of power and grave misconduct.
He had allegedly instructed the other two officials to arrest the actress, even before a formal crime had been registered. There are allegations that Kanthi Rana Tata arrested the actress based on oral instructions from his superior on January 31, 2024, before the registration of the FIR on February 2.
Crime
UP: Man Beats Wife To Death In Amroha For Not Meeting Dowry Demands Of TVS Apache Bike & ₹3 Lakh Cash
Amroha: In a tragic incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha, a young woman named Meena was brutally beaten to death by her husband, Sundar, for not fulfilling his dowry demands. Sundar, a resident of Baikheda village, had been married to Meena for two years and had persistently demanded a TVS Apache bike and Rs 3 lakh as dowry. Despite repeated harassment over the dowry, Meena was unable to meet his demands, a situation she had confided to her father.
Meena had been staying at her father’s home in Soharka since the festival of Rakshabandhan, possibly seeking refuge from the abuse. Sundar continued visiting her daily, often having meals with her family, creating an appearance of normalcy.
Sundar Brought Meena Back Home, Later Killed Her
On Sunday night, he came to bring her back to his house. Once there, Sundar confronted her again about the dowry and, in a violent fit of rage, attacked her with sticks. Unable to force her compliance, he strangled her to death before fleeing the scene.
It was the local residents who first alerted the authorities to the murder. Upon hearing the devastating news, Meena’s family rushed to the police station, demanding immediate action against Sundar. Her father, Vijay Khadak Banshi, later lodged a formal complaint accusing Sundar, along with his mother, sister and four others, of involvement in the crime.
Case Filed, Manhunt Launched To Nab Accused
The police have registered a case based on the family’s complaint and are actively searching for Sundar, who remains at large. Meanwhile, Meena’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to aid in the ongoing investigation.
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