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Hold urgent hearing of pleas against law dropping CJI from EC appointment panel, SC urged

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New Delhi, Jan 8: With the tenure of the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) coming to an end in February, the Supreme Court was urged on Wednesday to advance the scheduled hearing on pleas challenging the law introduced by the Parliament, which excludes the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the process of appointment of top officials of the Election Commission.

“The incumbent CEC is retiring on 18th of February and the new Election Commissioner will have to be appointed. Now, the question is as to whether he will be appointed in terms of the Constitution Bench judgment or in accordance with this new law. I am requesting that this matter should be heard next week,” advocate Prashant Bhushan submitted before a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant.

Declining to fast-track the hearing scheduled on February 4, the Justice Kant-led Bench remarked: “How many matters will we be able to hear urgently? We understand the importance of the matter and any good matter requires some time also. February is not far, remind us on February 3 in the morning, so we are able to take up the matter on 4th February.”

Bhushan said that the issue is already covered by the Constitution Bench judgement and should not take much time.

In March 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had held that the appointment of top officials of the Election Commission shall be done by the President on the advice of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.

“We declare that the appointment of the CEC and the other ECs shall be made on the recommendations made by a three-member Committee comprising the Prime Minister, LoP of the Lok Sabha and in case no LoP is available, the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha in terms of numerical strength and the Chief Justice of India,” said the apex court, clarifying that its guidelines shall be in effect until Parliament makes a law in consonance with Article 324(2) of the Constitution.

After the apex court verdict, the Parliament introduced legislation providing that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the other Election Commissioners (ECs) will be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of the PM, the Leader of the Opposition (or the largest opposition party) in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the PM.

Several PILs were filed before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Chief Election Commissioner and the other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Condition of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

One of the pleas filed by a Noida-based lawyer sought directions to set aside the gazette notification issued by the Union government on December 28, 2023, and to include the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee for the appointment of the CEC and ECs. Further, it sought direction to the Union of India for implementing an independent and transparent system of selection constituting a neutral and independent selection committee for appointment of the CEC and other ECs.

Recently, CJI Sanjiv Khanna recused himself from hearing the matter and said that the PILs should be heard by a different Bench.

Crime

UP Shocker: Mother Of 5 Children Dies After Beaten Up By 24-Year-Old Lover Over Breakup In Noida

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A mother of five children died after her 24-year-old allegedly beaten her up following a heated argument over breakup on Monday in Noida. According to reports, the victim has been identified as Neeraj. The police registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and arrested the accused boyfriend.

According to police, woman’s husband Satish, originally a resident of village Hathni Gud in Badaun district, works in a private company. He lives on rent in a house located in Mamura village with his wife Neeraj and five children. Neeraj had an extramarital affair with Arjun, a resident of village Sahpur in Shahjahanpur district who lived in the neighbourhood, for the past three years.

Arjun worked as a housekeeper in a private company located in Sector-59. Husband Satish was unaware of their affair. Neeraj went to meet Arjun in his room in the neighbourhood on Monday evening around 6 PM. Here, a fight broke out between the two about breakup. After the argument, Arjun physically assaulted Neeraj. During this, Neeraj became unconscious and fell to the ground.

Panicked Arjun rushed her to a nearby hospital, from where the woman was referred to Kailash Hospital. Seeing no improvement in her condition, the woman was referred to the district hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

After being alerted, police arrived and sent the body for the post-mortem. They also took boyfriend Arjun into custody. Family members allege that Arjun murdered Neeraj by strangulation.

According to police, the woman had married Satish about 13 years ago. The couple has five children. To educate the children, Satish brought Neeraj from his ancestral village to Noida about five years ago. While living in lane number eight, Neeraj became friends with Arjun, who lived in the neighbourhood. Gradually, the friendship between the two turned into a love affair. Arjun is 24 years old and unmarried.

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National News

Odisha Self-Immolation Case: Congress Workers Stage Protest Over Balasore Student’s Death Outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar

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Bhubaneswar (Odisha): Tensions flared outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Tuesday morning as Congress workers staged a protest following the death of a 20-year-old student from Balasore who had attempted self-immolation.

The protesting Congress workers were detained by police.

AIIMS Bhubaneswar Confirms The Death Of The Student

Earlier on Monday, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar confirmed the death of the 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Odisha’s Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation.

The Department of Burn Centre, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, said in a statement that the patient was brought to the casualty on July 12 and was referred from Balasore District Headquarters Hospital to AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

“She was admitted to the Burns Centre ICU. The patient was resuscitated with IV fluids, IV antibiotics, intubated and put on mechanical ventilation. Despite adequate resuscitation and all possible supportive management, including renal replacement therapy at the Burns ICU, she could not be revived and was declared clinically dead at 11:46 PM on July 14,” the statement said.

The 20-year-old student set herself on fire after allegedly facing prolonged sexual harassment by her college’s Head of Department. Despite lodging a formal complaint and seeking help from the principal, her pleas were ignored, leading to the tragic incident. The incident occurred at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi Expresses Grief

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief and assured the family of the deceased that all those guilty in this case will face the strictest punishment as per the law.

In a post on X, CM Majhi said, “I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the demise of the female student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College. Despite the government’s fulfilment of all responsibilities and the tireless efforts of the expert medical team, the victim’s life could not be saved. I pray for the eternal peace of her departed soul and beseech Lord Jagannath to grant strength to her family to bear this irreparable loss.”

“I assure the family of the deceased student that all those guilty in this case will face the strictest punishment as per the law. For this, I have personally issued instructions to the authorities. The government stands firmly with the family,” the Odisha CM emphasised.

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UP Rains Fury: 13 Dead, Villages Cut Off Amid Lightning Strikes, Floods In Bundelkhand & Purvanchal

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Torrential rains wreaked havoc across Bundelkhand and eastern UP on Saturday, claiming 13 lives and displacing hundreds. With no immediate relief in sight, multiple districts reported house collapses, electrocutions, and flood related isolation.

According to the meteorological department, Chitrakoot saw the highest rainfall at 216 mm, followed by Kanpur (126 mm) and Banda (115 mm). Rain continued through the night in many parts of Purvanchal, flooding homes and cutting off access in rural areas.

In Banda’s Badokhar area, lightning struck a mud house, killing one child and injuring two others. Another lightning strike in Kamaisin village killed a farmer. Across the state, five deaths were reported due to lightning, including in Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Chandauli, and Bhadohi.

In Chitrakoot, a wall collapsed as flash floods claimed three lives. In Mahoba, swelling rivers and overflowing drains cut off 20 villages, forcing residents to travel an extra 30 km for basic access. Schools and homes flooded, leaving children stranded. In Unnao, a youth died while planting paddy in a field during a lightning strike. Hamirpur recorded one fatality and multiple injuries from a similar incident, with fields turning into death traps amid the downpour.

Rescue efforts continued late into the evening, including the dramatic 10-hour rescue of a farmer stranded on an island in Banda after the Ranj river’s sudden rise. With more rain forecast through the week, residents brace for further disruptions and losses.

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