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‘Surpassed Laxman Rekha, indelible scar’, ex-judges, bureaucrats on SC remarks against Nupur Sharma

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A group consisting of 15 retired judges of various high courts, 77 retired bureaucrats and 25 retired armed forces officers have written an open letter criticising the observations of the Supreme Court on a plea by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

They alleged that the comments made by the two judges — Justices Surya Kant and Justice J.B. Pardiwala — are unfortunate and unprecedented, and the top court surpassed the ‘Laxman Rekha’ and called for urgent rectification steps.

The statement said: “In the annals of judiciary, the unfortunate comments have no parallel and are an indelible scar on the justice system of the largest democracy. Urgent rectification steps are called for as these have potentially serious consequences on democratic values and security of the country.”

The veterans said they believe that the democracy of any country will remain intact till all the institutions perform their duties as per the Constitution. “Recent comments by the two judges of the Supreme Court have surpassed the Laxman Rekha and compelled us to issue an open statement.”

It further added that observations are not in sync with judicial ethos and by no stretch these observations, which are not part of the judicial order, can be sanctified on the plank of judicial propriety and fairness.

The veterans said through such observation, perceptionally there is virtual exoneration of the dastardliest beheading at Udaipur in broad daylight. “The observations also graduate to the most unjustifiable degree that this was only to fan an agenda… In the annals of judiciary, the unfortunate comments have no parallel and are an indelible scar on the justice system of the largest democracy,” said the three-page open statement. They said Sharma was de facto denied access to the judiciary and in the process, there was an outrage on the Preamble, spirit and essence of the Constitution.

The veterans said the legal fraternity is bound to be surprised and shocked at the observation that an FIR should lead to arrest and the observations on other agencies in the country, without notice to them, are indeed worrisome and alarming. “Forcing a petitioner by such damning observations, pronouncing her guilty without trial, and denial of access to justice on issue raised in the petition, can never be a facet of a democratic society,” added the statement.

Sharma had moved the top court seeking clubbing of FIRs, registered in various parts of the country, into one FIR at Delhi in the matter connected with her remarks against the Prophet Muhammed. On July 1, the apex court slammed Sharma for her controversial remarks.

The statement said the allegations constitute only one offence for which separate prosecutions (FIRs) were launched and Article 20 (2) of the Constitution prohibits prosecution and punishment more than once for the same offence. “Article 20 falls under Part III of the Constitution and is a guaranteed fundamental right. The Supreme Court in a number of cases, including Arnab Goswamy vs. Union of India (2020) and T.T. Anthony vs. State of Kerala clearly laid down the law that there can be no second FIR and consequently there can be no fresh investigation in respect to the second FIR on the same issue. Such an action is violative of fundamental rights as guaranteed under Article 20(2) of the Constitution”, it said.

“Such an approach of the Supreme Court deserves no applause and impacts the very sanctity and honour of the highest court of land,” it added.

The signatories include former chief justice of the Bombay High Court Kshitij Vyas, former Gujarat High Court judge S.M. Soni, former Delhi High Court judge S.N. Dhingra, former chief justice (acting) Gauhati High Court K. Sreedhar Rao, former Rajasthan High Court judges R.S. Rathore and Prashant Agarwal.

The other signatories include: former IAS officers R.S. Gopalan and S. Krishna Kumar, former DGPs S.P. Vaid and B.L. Vohra, ambassador (retired) Niranjan Desai, Lt Gen V.K. Chaturvedi (retired) and Air Marshall (retired) S.P. Singh. The coordinators are Justice P.N. Ravindran, former judge of Kerala High Court, and Anand Bose, former chief secretary, Kerala.

National News

iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro Max Prices in India Revealed; Pre-Orders Begin September 12

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Apple has launched the latest iPhone 17 series in India. The four models- iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max – will be up for pre-orders from September 12 at 5.30pm IST. The four iPhone 17 models will go on sale from September 19. The price in India, as anticipated, has seen a slight increase across all models, compared to the iPhone 16 range. For instance, the base iPhone 17 model starts at Rs. 82,900, a slight increase from the base iPhone 16 that started from Rs. 79,900 at launch.

Pre-orders of the iPhone 17 models will start from 5.30pm IST on September 12. Sale begins on September 19.  Apart from the Apple Store, Apple is likely to sell the new range on Amazon and Flipkart as well. Launch offers include no-cost EMI of up to six months, and up to Rs. 5,000 instant cashback on American Express, Axis Bank, and ICICI Bank card holders. Apple Trade-in and GST benefits have also been listed.

Rs. 82900 (256GB)

Rs. ₹102900 (512 GB)

Colour options – Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, Black

Rs. 1,19,900 (256GB)

Rs. 1,39,900 (512GB)

Rs. 1,59,900 (1TB)

Colour options – Sky Blue, Light Gold, Space Black, Cloud White

Rs. 1,34,900 (256GB)

Rs. 1,54,900 (512GB)

Rs. 1,74,900 (1TB)

Colour options – Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange, Silver

Rs. 1,49,900 (256GB)

Rs. 1,69,900 (512GB)

Rs. 1,89,900 (1TB)

Rs. 2,29,900 (2TB)

Colour options: Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange, Silver

Apple has removed the iPhone 16 Pro models from its Apple online store, replacing them with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. In the iPhone 16 range, only the base iPhone 16 model and the iPhone 16e are listed online.

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National News

Mumbai Metro 3 Progress Report: Aqua Line Connecting Aarey To Cuffe Parade Nears Completion, Final Stretch Awaits Safety Nod – Details Inside

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Mumbai: Mumbai’s ambitious Metro Line 3, the 33.5-km Aqua Line, is nearing completion, promising to transform commuting between Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai and Aarey in the western suburbs. The city’s first fully underground metro has been rolled out in phases. Aarey to BKC has been operational since October 2024, BKC to Worli launched in May 2025, while the final Worli–Cuffe Parade stretch awaits safety clearance, bringing the entire corridor closer to full-scale operations. The mega project has seen several delays in deadlines and is likely to be launched fully very soon.

The city’s long-awaited underground Metro Line 3 project is now in its last lap, with the Worli–Cuffe Parade section awaiting fire safety clearance before inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS). According to Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) Managing Director Ashwini Bhide, commercial operations on the final segment can only begin after CMRS approval, making this the last step before Mumbai’s first fully underground metro corridor becomes fully operational.

The 33.5-km Aqua Line, connecting Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai to Aarey in the western suburbs, has been Mumbai’s most ambitious transport infrastructure project to date. Its completion marks a major milestone in the city’s efforts to decongest overcrowded suburban railways and reduce dependence on private vehicles.

A major achievement came on July 23, 2025, when MMRCL successfully energised the entire stretch by activating the 25 kV traction line. This enabled the commencement of trial runs on the remaining Worli–Colaba Cuffe Parade section. While the launch was initially scheduled for August, pending trial runs and safety clearances have pushed back the timeline slightly. Once CMRS inspection is complete, the corridor can finally open for public use.

The Aqua Line has been rolled out in phases. The first operational stretch, covering Aarey-JVLR to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), was inaugurated on October 7, 2024, offering commuters in the western suburbs direct connectivity to Mumbai’s emerging financial hub. The second segment, running from BKC to Worli’s Acharya Atre Chowk, was flagged off on May 9, 2025, and opened the following day. Together, these two phases cover 22.5 km, which has already seen strong ridership. The final leg from Worli to Cuffe Parade will unlock seamless north–south connectivity across Mumbai.

Meanwhile, the Aqua Line recently crossed the 1 crore ridership mark, as per an update on August 28. Stretching from Aarey JVLR to Acharya Atre Chowk, the corridor has quickly become a vital urban lifeline. Officials hailed the milestone, noting the positive response from commuters who have embraced the new metro as a faster, more reliable alternative.

When fully operational, Metro Line 3 is expected to carry 4.5 lakh passengers daily, with projections of 6.5 lakh trips as ridership scales up. It promises to cut travel time drastically between South Mumbai and the western suburbs, while offering direct rail access to both domestic and international airports, a long-pending demand of the city.

The corridor will also enhance last-mile connectivity to six key business districts, 30 major office hubs, 12 educational institutes, 11 hospitals, 10 transport nodes and 25 cultural and religious sites. Crucially, it will integrate with existing suburban rail at Churchgate and CSMT, and provide relief to congested road corridors like the Western Express Highway.

Beyond its commuter benefits, Metro Line 3 represents a symbolic shift in Mumbai’s infrastructure ambitions. By introducing India’s first fully underground metro corridor at such a scale, it sets a benchmark for future projects.

With safety trials in their final phase, the countdown has begun. Once CMRS approval is secured, the Aqua Line will be opened in its entirety, reshaping Mumbai’s commuting landscape for decades to come.

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Business

Sensex, Nifty jump over positive development on India-US trade talks

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Mumbai, Sep 10: The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Wednesday, on the back of promising developments in the US-India trade discussions along with strong overnight global cues.

US President Donald Trump’s initiative to improve India-US relations and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s positive response to the same is a positive cue for the Indian market.

The Sensex was up 334 points or 0.41 per cent at 81,435 in the early morning trade, and the Nifty was up 106 points or 0.43 per cent at 24,975.

The broadcap indices made strong gains, as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 0.73 per cent, and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 0.71 per cent.

In the Nifty pack, Larsen and Toubro, Kotak Mahindra, Dr Reddys Labs and TCS were the major gainers. The major losers were Hero Motocorp, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Steel and Hindalco.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty IT, the top gainer, jumped 1.88 per cent. Nifty PSU bank and Nifty Realty were the other major gainers. Only Nifty Auto (down 0.33 per cent) and Nifty Consumer durables were in the red.

Nifty on Tuesday faced resistance near the 24,900 level for the second consecutive session. The index formed a small green candle with a long lower shadow on the daily chart, reflecting ongoing consolidation and intraday volatility.

“Nifty continued its upward journey yesterday, rising for the fifth consecutive session and closing at a two-week high. By closing above 24791, Nifty managed to reclaim its level above 50 DEMA. The index has now decisively surpassed its 5, 10, 20, and 50-day DMAs, which is a bullish signal on short-term charts,” said Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities.

According to market analysts, buying interest is visible at lower levels, and the 24,900–25,000 zone continues to act as a stiff hurdle. Immediate support is placed at 24,620, and as long as the index trades below 25,000, some consolidation or mild weakness may persist, they said.

US markets made strong gains overnight as the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.43 per cent, while the Nasdaq advanced by 0.37 per cent and the S&P 500 gained 0.27 per cent. The rally was driven by expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts following a sharp downward revision to US job data.

The Asian markets were firmly in green during the morning session. China’s Shanghai index advanced 0.17 per cent, and Shenzhen added 0.24 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei was up 0.6 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.98 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi inched up 1.55 per cent.

On Tuesday, foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) snapped their 11-day selling streak by purchasing equities worth Rs 2,050 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) net bought shares worth Rs 83 crore.

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