Crime
‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ stand on same level: Centre to Delhi HC

Responding to a plea for equal status to ‘Vande Mataram’ with ‘Jana Gana Mana’, the Centre has told the Delhi High Court that both stand on the same level and every citizen of the country should show equal respect to both.
“..National song occupies a unique and special place in the emotions and psyche of the people of India,” the Ministry of Home Affairs submitted.
The MHA, in its reply, also pointed out that on January 24, 1950, the President of the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the ‘Jana Gana Mana’ as the National Anthem of India.
The ‘Orders relating to the National Anthem of India’ were issued regarding the manner and the circumstances in which the National Anthem has to be played or sung.
In 1971, the action of preventing the singing of the National Anthem or causing disturbances to any assembly engaged in such singing was made a punishable offence by the enactment of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
The Centre’s response came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) moved by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking parity of treatment between the National Anthem and National Song and also to frame guidelines for the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ giving it the same honour and status at par with the National Anthem of India.
However, the Centre, clarified that similar penal provisions have not been made by the Government in the case of the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ and no instructions have been issued laying down the circumstances in which it may be sung or played. The Centre also referred to the Supreme Court order in Upadhyay’s similar earlier plea.
In its judgment dated January 17, 2017, the apex court observed that Article 51A (a) of the Constitution of India does not refer to ‘National Song’. It only refers to National Flag and National Anthem.
“5IA. Fundamental duties – It shall be the duty of every citizen of India-(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag, and National Anthem. Therefore, we do not intend to enter into any debate as far as the National Song is concerned,” the earlier SC order read.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: Human Trafficking Racket Busted At CSMI Airport, Woman Rescued; Accused In Police Custody

Mumbai: A major human trafficking racket was exposed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport due to the alertness of immigration officials. The accused, Vijay Kumar Radheshyam Grover (43), was caught attempting to take 28-year-old Kamaljit Kaur to the Netherlands’ Amsterdam by posing as her husband.
Officials found discrepancies during questioning, leading to the discovery of fake documents. The case is currently under investigation by the Property Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch, and a team has been dispatched to Punjab for further probe. Grover has been remanded in police custody till October 15.
According to police sources, Accused VijayKumar, who works as a travel agent in Delhi, has traveled abroad 13 times to nine different countries including Thailand, China, Dubai, and London.
He is suspected to have facilitated passports and visas for around 30 to 35 individuals. On October 7, he arrived at the Mumbai international airport with Kamaljit Kaur, claiming she was his wife and that they were flying to Amsterdam.
However, immigration officers noticed inconsistencies in their responses during routine questioning. Further scrutiny revealed that the marriage certificate dated December 2023 they presented was fake. Kaur was immediately rescued, while Grover was detained for questioning. Investigations revealed that Kaur’s cousin, Sonu — a Belgium citizen — had introduced her to Grover.
A case has been registered at the Sahar Police Station under sections 143(2), 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, for human trafficking, cheating, and forgery.
The accused allegedly forged marriage documents to fraudulently obtain a European visa for himself and Kamaljit Kaur and attempted to take her illegally to Amsterdam on flight 6M-21 from Mumbai.
The investigation is being led by Senior Police Inspector Mangesh Desai and PSI Sachin Jadhav of the Property Cell, Crime Branch. Police are now tracing agent Gagandeep Singh Bhinder and others suspected to be part of this trafficking network. Authorities are also probing whether this is part of a larger cross-border trafficking racket operating from Punjab and Delhi.
Crime
CBI arrests two CGST officers in Mumbai for accepting Rs 25,000 bribe

Mumbai, Oct 8: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday said it has arrested a Superintendent and an Inspector of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) in Mumbai, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a businessman.
According to a CBI statement, the arrested officials have been identified as Superintendent Vikram and Inspector Lav Kumar Chittoria, both posted in the CGST Santacruz Division.
The case was registered on Tuesday following a complaint from a textile trader who had applied online for GST registration of his firm on September 24, the statement said.
The complainant alleged that during a field inspection on October 3, Chittoria demanded Rs 25,000 as illegal gratification for himself and his superior officer.
The officers allegedly warned that the GST registration certificate would not be issued unless the bribe was paid.
Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught both the accused red-handed while accepting the bribe amount inside the CGST West Mumbai Office on Tuesday.
The bribe money was recovered from their possession. Following the arrests, searches were carried out at the offices and residences of both officials, during which several incriminating documents were also seized.
A CBI spokesperson said that both officers were taken into custody for interrogation and will be produced before a competent court in Mumbai later in the day.
“Further investigation is underway to determine whether other officials were involved in the bribery racket and to trace possible links with similar cases,” the official added.
The agency reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption in government departments and urged citizens to report any instance of demand for bribes through its dedicated helpline and online portal.
Just a few days ago, in its crackdown on bribery in government offices, the CBI arrested two senior government officials of the Ministry of Defence and a railway hospital, in two separate cases of bribery.
Crime
Mumbai Hit-And-Run Case: 21-Year-Old Ruia College Student Dies After Being Abandoned On Road Following Accident At Sion

Mumbai: A 21-year-old college student, Mayur Kishor Rai, pursuing his undergraduate studies at Ruia College in Matunga, tragically died in a hit-and-run accident on the evening of October 4. The incident occurred near the Sion Bridge incline on Dr. B.A. Road, Sion East. The Sion Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.
According to the FIR, Mayur, a resident of Lallubhai Compound in Mankhurd, lived with his family and used to commute to college on a KTM Duke 250 motorcycle (MH-03-EJ-5365) registered in his sister Deepa’s name. On the day of the incident, Mayur left for college on the bike and informed his mother, Sunita Rai,45, a social worker, around 6:30 PM that he was on his way home.
However, at around 8:15 PM, Sunita received a call from an unknown person using Mayur’s mobile, informing her that his bike had met with an accident near Sion Bridge.
The family rushed to the location by taxi but could not find Mayur at the spot. While on their way to Sion Hospital, they spotted his motorcycle near the zebra crossing on Dr. B.A. Road, where police were already present. Upon getting down from the taxi, the family found Mayur lying unconscious beside a small tempo.
An ambulance called by the police arrived shortly, and Mayur was rushed to Sion Hospital. Unfortunately, the doctors declared him dead on arrival.
According to traffic police patrolling the area, some bystanders had informed them about the accident and mentioned that an injured person was being taken to the hospital in a tempo. The tempo in question bore the registration number MH-48-CB-3469.
Investigations revealed that after the accident, local bystanders had placed the injured Mayur in the tempo for transportation. However, when no one accompanied him to the hospital, the frightened tempo driver allegedly offloaded Mayur near the zebra crossing and left him there unattended.
Police have filed a case against the unknown vehicle driver for causing death by negligent and rash driving, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Motor Vehicles Act. Efforts are ongoing to identify the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run.
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