Business
Not seeing improved severance package, Ford India’s Chennai workers protest

Around 2,200 workers of Ford India Pvt Ltd’s plant near here are on protest demanding better severance package as the company has decided to shut down the plant sometime next month, said a workers’ union leader.
The workers are also dejected at being left out, as Ford India’s Gujarat plant and its workers will be taken over by Tata Motors’ subsidiary Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.
“The Tamil Nadu government should step in and secure a decent severance compensation for the Ford India workers in the state,” a workers union leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IANS.
According to the union official, production of cars at the Maraimalainagar plant is scheduled only for ten days.
Currently, the plant rolls out EcoSport for the export market.
The management is sticking to its stand on the severance compensation package and is not willing to move ahead, the official added.
In September 2021, Ford India announced its decision to wind down vehicle assembly in Gujarat’s Sanand by the fourth quarter of 2021, and vehicle and engine manufacturing in Chennai by the second quarter of 2022.
Ford India has four plants in the country – vehicle and engine plants in Chennai and Sanand.
Ford’s “quit India” decision will result in an uncertain future for about 5,300 employees – workers and staff, the officials said last year.
The Chennai plant has about 2,700 associates (permanent workers) and about 600 staff.
“In Sanand, the number of workers will be about 2,000,” Sanand workers’ union General Secretary Nayan Kateshiya had told IANS.
Ford India had said more than 500 employees at the Sanand engine plant, which produces engines for export, and about 100 employees supporting parts distribution and customer service, also will continue to support Ford’s business in India.
According to Ford India, about 4,000 employees are expected to be affected by its decision.
The workers at Ford India want the prospective buyer of the car plants to hire them.
On Monday, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Ford India signed an MOU with the Gujarat government for the potential acquisition of Ford India’s Sanand vehicle manufacturing facility including its land and buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant, machinery and equipment, and transfer of all eligible employees engaged vehicle manufacturing operations, subject to the signing of definitive agreements and receipt of relevant approvals.
Tata Motors said Ford India will operate its powertrain manufacturing facilities by leasing back the land and buildings of the unit from Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.
Tata Passenger Electric Mobility would invest into new machinery and equipment which is necessary to commission and make the unit ready to produce its vehicles.
With the proposed investments, it would establish an installed capacity of 300,000 units per annum, which would be scalable to more than 400,000 units.
Tata Motors already has a presence in Gujarat and Ford India’s plant is nearby.
Last October, senior officials of Tata group had met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin that fueled the speculation about the former showing interest in Ford India’s plant in the state.
Tata Group Chairman N.Chandrasekaran had a meeting with Chief Minister Stalin, Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, and senior state government officials.
In September 2021, a Tata Motors delegation led by its Executive Director Girish Wagh had met Stalin.
However, the agenda of the two meetings was not known.
Crime
Mere recovery of blood-stained weapon matching deceased’s blood group not sufficient to prove murder: SC

suprim court
New Delhi, June 27: Upholding the acquittal of an accused, the Supreme Court has ruled that mere recovery of a blood-stained weapon bearing the same blood group as that of the deceased would not be sufficient to prove the charge of murder.
A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and P.B. Varale was dealing with a criminal appeal filed by the Rajasthan government challenging a judgment of the Rajasthan High Court, which had acquitted the respondent-accused of the offence of murder.
In its impugned order, a division bench set aside the judgment passed by the Additional Sessions Judge in December 2008, which had convicted the respondent for the offence punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 100, and in default of payment of fine, to further undergo 3 months simple imprisonment.
During the trial, the respondent was charged with the murder of Chotu Lal, which took place on the intervening night of March 1 and 2, 2007.
Initially, an FIR was filed against unknown assailants, and at a later stage, the respondent was arraigned in the case on the basis of suspicion and circumstantial evidence.
The prosecution led circumstantial evidence in the form of motive, alleging the respondent was having an evil eye on the wife of the deceased; recovery of the weapon of offence and the FSL report indicating that the blood group on the weapon matched with the blood group of the deceased (B +ve).
Contrary to the findings of the trial court, the Rajasthan High Court opined that the prosecution could not prove the complete chain of circumstances required to bring home the guilt of the accused in the case, which was based entirely on circumstantial evidence, and proceeded to acquit the respondent.
Concurring with the view taken by the Rajasthan HC, the Justice Mehta-led Bench said: “We find that the incriminating circumstances relied upon by the prosecution, i.e., the motive and the recovery of the blood stained weapon, even taken in conjunction cannot constitute the complete chain of incriminating circumstances required to bring home the charges against the accused.”
“The High Court seems to have overlooked the FSL report, which fact was stressed upon by learned counsel for the appellant (state government). However, in our view, even if the FSL report is taken into account, then also, other than the fact that the weapon recovered at the instance of the accused tested positive for the same blood group as that of the deceased (B +ve), nothing much turns on the said report,” it added.
The apex court, relying upon a previous judgment of the apex court, opined that mere recovery of a blood-stained weapon even bearing the same blood group of the victim would not be sufficient to prove the charge of murder.
It discarded the theory of motive, saying the evidence in that regard seems to be very vague and vacillating.
The Justice Mehta-led Bench added that the law is well settled by a catena of apex court decisions that in an appeal against acquittal, interference can only be made if the only possible view based on the evidence points to the guilt of the accused and rules out his innocence.
Dismissing the appeal of the state government, the Supreme Court said: “In the present case, we are duly satisfied that the prosecution failed to lead clinching evidence to bring home the charges. The only possible view is the one taken by the High Court, i.e., the innocence of the accused.”
National
BJP accuses Congress of opposing voter verification to shield fake votes in Bihar

New Delhi, June 27: Following Congress’ objection to the Election Commission of India’s special revision of the state’s voter list ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, the BJP has launched a sharp counterattack, accusing the grand old party of attempting to protect fake voters.
BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal defended the ECI and called Congress’ objections baseless.
“The Election Commission is an independent body which works independently. It is its responsibility to ensure that elections are conducted with complete transparency. If any political party opposes this, it is wrong. Fake voting can be prevented by the revision of the voter list. Voters who have died will be identified. This process will also make it clear whether the voter is actually in Bihar or voting somewhere else. This is a very necessary step for transparency. I congratulate the Election Commission for this,” Jaiswal said.
Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar on Thursday criticised the ECI for initiating the voter list revision process in a limited time frame.
He alleged that the move is part of a conspiracy to suppress the electoral rights of marginalised communities.
Reacting strongly to these allegations, BJP leader and Minister Nitin Nabin questioned Congress’ intent behind opposing the exercise.
“I say that Congress should clarify what exactly they are objecting to. If genuine voters are being verified and fake voters are being removed, is Congress sitting here to commit fraud? I want to ask the opposition members who are opposing this, are you trying to gain power through fake votes? Such fake voters will definitely be stopped, and the parties doing fraud will also be taught a lesson,” Nabin asserted.
The ECI has issued instructions for holding Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, where polls are to be held by year-end. This means electoral rolls for the state will be prepared afresh.
The special voter list inspection has been undertaken by the ECI as a standard pre-election procedure to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls.
Officials have stated that the process will help remove deceased or duplicate voters and correct errors, ensuring a fair and transparent election.
Crime
Kerala HC judge files complaint of theft at his residence, police probe on

Kochi, 27 June: The Kochi police have received a theft complaint from Kerala High Court Judge, Justice A. Badharudeen, according to officials on Friday, stating that six sovereigns of gold were missing from his residence.
The complaint, which was filed on Thursday, mentions that the gold has been stolen from the judge’s bedroom. The police have registered an FIR under Section BNS 305.
What has surprised many is that the thief has decamped with gold from a high-security guarded house located in the heart of the commercial capital of the state.
The judge registered the complaint with the Kalamassery police under which his residence falls.
After the preliminary probe, the police are now planning to prepare a list of those who need to be spoken to, as this incident occurred in the bedroom of the senior judge.
More details are awaited.
The incident has raised concerns regarding the security situation in the state. The Congress-led UDF has been accusing the state government of failing to curb the crimes.
It has been found that Kerala is a haven for organised gangs hailing from neighbouring states who specialise in robbing homes, and the cases against non-Keralaite thieves are also on the increase.
According to information prepared by the home department, which was placed before the Assembly last year, it showed 192 cases of theft involving non-Keralites were registered in 2021, and the numbers have been steadily increasing. This rose to 360 in 2022.
In 2023, the number increased further to 519, and by September 2024, a total of 307 such cases were registered. But the image of the Kerala Police got a boost when over 1,350 thieves during this period were put behind bars.
However, with regards to the case being registered in the burglary at the home of a judge, the police appear to have a tough job ahead.
Likewise, with other crimes also on the increase, the Ernakulam Police have come out with a directive to landlords who are seeking to rent out their properties. The police have urged the landlords to get a police clearance certificate from the prospective tenants from their local police station where they stayed.
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