Connect with us
Thursday,19-September-2024
Breaking News

National News

5 Conditions Imposed On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal As Supreme Court Grants Him Bail In Liquor Policy Case

Published

on

5 Conditions Imposed On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal As Supreme Court Grants Him Bail In Liquor Policy Case

In a massive boost to the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the state Assembly elections, the Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to its national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case registered by the CBI in the alleged excise policy scam. 

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted bail to Kejriwal saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty. 

It also put in place 5 conditions for Kejriwal to follow, including those set in earlier when he got relief in the ED case:

These new conditions include: 

– The apex court granted bail to Kejriwal, subject to bail bonds of Rs10 lakh.

– The Delhi CM cannot comment on the ongoing Delhi liquor policy case.

– Kejriwal will have to be present for trial unless exempted by the courts.

– He cannot sign official documents.

– Kejriwal can’t enter the Chief Minister’s office or the Delhi secretariat while out on bail.

Justice Bhuyan, during the hearing, questioned the CBI for arresting Kejriwal, saying that such action by CBI raises serious questions on the timing of the arrest and such an arrest by CBI only fractured the bail granted in the ED case.

Keeping Kejriwal incarcerated would be travesty of justice: SC

He said keeping Kejriwal incarcerated when he is on bail in the ED case would be a travesty of justice. He further said Kejriwal was granted bail in the ED case and further detention in the CBI case is wholly untenable. 

Justice Bhuyan also said that bail is the rule and jail is an exception. “The process of trial or steps leading to arrest should not become harassment,” said the judge.

CBI arrest is “unjustified”, says court

CBI arrest is “unjustified” and thus Kejriwal should be released forthwith, said Justice Bhuyan.

Earlier, the apex court had reserved the verdict on September 5 after hearing counsels representing Kejriwal and CBI.

During the hearing of the case, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for CBI, objected to Kejriwal for not approaching the trial court for bail.

Kejriwal had directly approached the Delhi High Court for bail and then moved to the apex court. On August 5, the Delhi High Court upheld the arrest of the Chief Minister as “legal.” It had dismissed Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest, saying it was only after sufficient evidence was collected and sanction was obtained in April 2024 that the CBI proceeded with further probe against him.

The High Court had said there was no malice in the acts of the CBI, which demonstrated how Kejriwal could influence witnesses who could muster the courage to depose only after his arrest. It had said Kejriwal is not an ordinary citizen but a distinguished recipient of the Magsaysay Award and the convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party.

“The control and the influence which he has on the witnesses is prima facie borne out from the fact that these witnesses could muster the courage to be a witness only after the arrest of the petitioner, as highlighted by the special prosecutor,” it had said in its order.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, 2024, in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22. On June 26, 2024, AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by CBI while he was in custody of the Enforcement Directorate in the excise case.

Crime

Tripura: Police Seize 44 Kg Of Drugs Worth Rs 2.52 Lakh At Agartala Railway Station

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

National News

Atishi Likely To Address First House Session As Delhi Chief Minister On September 26 And 27

Published

on

Delhi: Aam Admi Party leader and the successor of Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi, Atishi Marlena Singh, will likely address her first session as the head of the Delhi assembly next Thursday, September 26. The Delhi government has announced a two-day special session on September 26 and 27, as reported by party officials.

Atishi Takes Over After Kejriwal As Delhi CM

The choice to convene a special session aligns with Arvind Kejriwal stepping down as the chief minister and CM-designate Atishi asserting her right to govern. A senior party member mentioned that the meeting’s agenda is still undecided.

When Will Atishi Take Oath As Delhi’s New CM?

Atishi Marlena, the newly appointed Chief Minister of Delhi, has not yet been sworn in. Although the dates haven’t officially been announced yet, as per a few reports, the oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to occur before the Delhi Assembly session. The Speaker’s Office has announced that the Delhi Assembly session is scheduled for September 26 and 27.

Atishi To Address House

Atishi is scheduled to address the house on the challenges confronting Delhi and to assure the path forward. The member stated that it is uncertain if the oath-taking ceremony will be finished by then, as it will rely on the dates given by LG VK Saxena after approval from the President.

SK Sharma, a constitutional expert and a former secretary to the Lok Sabha and the Delhi assembly, said, “The power to appoint minister and chief minister is with the President. The head of legislative group has laid stake to power. Since AAP has brute majority, there should be no hurdle.”

“A date for oath-taking ceremony needs to be fixed, which is at the discretion of the President and LG.” Sharma said.

“Atishi will be speaking at the house on issues being faced by Delhi and the way ahead. It is not yet clear whether the oath-taking ceremony would be complete by then, as it will depend on the dates provided by LG VK Saxena after concurrence from the President,”

Assembly Sessions

Throughout the course of a year, there are typically three significant assembly sessions conducted, namely the budget session, monsoon session, and winter session. However, there have been occasions where the legislative assembly has convened more than three sessions to address the urgent matters presented by the government. There must also not be a gap longer than six months between two sessions.

Continue Reading

National News

Aligarh Police Sub-Inspector Sits On Railway Tracks To End Life After Alleged Harassment By Judge, Saved by Cops

Published

on

Vigilant police officers saved Sub-Inspector Sachin Kumar’s life as he attempted suicide by sitting on railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, allegedly due to harassment by Judge Abhishek Tripathi. Judge Tripathi has yet to respond to the allegations.

A video of the incident has surfaced on social media, showing several policemen approaching Kumar while he was sitting on the tracks. They are seen lifting him up and reassuring him, with one officer saying, “What happened? It’s okay. Stand up.” Kumar responded, “No sir, I don’t want to listen to anything.”

In the video, Kumar explains that the judge had repeatedly summoned him to his chamber, verbally abused him, and threatened him. Despite this, his colleagues managed to persuade him to leave the tracks.

According to reports, Kumar had recently arrested five individuals for bike theft and presented them in court. However, Judge Tripathi accused him of detaining innocent people and misbehaving. Distressed by these accusations, Kumar attempted to take his own life.

The police are investigating the incident to clarify the circumstances and address the concerns raised.

4 dead, 6 injured in explosion at firecracker factory in Firozabad

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, four people have died and six people who were injured are undergoing treatment after an explosion occurred at a firecracker factory in Firozabad’s Naushera on Tuesday, said senior police official on Tuesday.

The House has collapsed due to the explosion and several people are feared to be trapped under rubble, said police.

“In Shikohabad PS area, firecrackers were stored at a house and a blast occurred there. Due to the impact of the blast, the roof of a nearby house collapsed. Police took out 10 people from the debris…6 people are undergoing treatment at a hospital and 4 people have died…further rescue operation is still underway,”

Meanwhile, Firozabad District Magistrate Ramesh Ranjan said that the rescue operations are underway.

“Rescue team is present at the spot. District hospital and sub-district hospital, both are on high alert…team of doctors, ambulance, fire team, disaster team, all are present at the spot,” Firozabad District Magistrate Ramesh Ranjan said.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending