General
Plea against Delimitation Commission in Jammu and Kashmir, Supreme Court seeks Centre, Election Commission response
The Supreme Court on Friday sought reply from the Centre, the Jammu and Kashmir administration, and the Election Commission (EC), on a plea against the constitution of the Delimitation Commission to redraw the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the Union Territory.
Counsel representing the petitioners submitted before a bench headed by Sanjay Kishan Kaul that the delimitation exercise, which was carried out recently, was contrary to the scheme of the Constitution, as the alteration of boundaries could not be done.
The bench, also comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh, then asked counsel why the petitioners did not challenge the constitution of the Commission, which was formed some time ago. As counsel contended it is the Election Commission, as per delimitation order, which is empowered to do any changes, the bench further queried from the petitioners’ counsel as to why his clients did not challenge the formation of the Commission itself?
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the plea contends that delimitation can be conducted only by the EC and not the Delimitation Commission.
While objecting to some submissions, the bench told counsel that Kashmir was always part of India and just a special provision was removed.
Mehta said their case is that after Article 370 is gone, the census will only take place in 2026. He further added that delimitations are of two types: one based on geography done by the Delimitation Commission, and the other, by the Election Commission in connection with reservation of seats.
The petitioner’ counsel further argued that the government will place the delimitation order before Parliament, which would further complicate the matter. To this, the bench asked why the petitioners didn’t take it up two years ago.
After hearing the arguments, the top court issued notice to the Centre, J&K administration, and the poll panel, giving them six weeks to file their response, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on August 30.
The plea moved by Haji Abdul Gani Khan and Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mattoo, both residents of Kashmir, sought directions seeking a declaration that increase of number of seats from 107 to 114 in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir is ultra vires the constitutional provisions such as Articles 81, 82, 170, 330, and 332 and statutory provisions particularly under section 63 of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The plea also urged the top court to issue to direction to declare notification issued on March 6, 2020, constituting the Delimitation Commission to take up delimitation in the UT of J&K and states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.
“In fact, in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the census operation was completed in 2001, but the delimitation was done in 1995. Even on this count, the entire process adopted is unconstitutional as there is no population census operation during 2011 at all for Jammu and Kashmir,” said the plea.
The plea argued that if August 5, 2019 was to unite the Jammu and Kashmir state with India, then the delimitation process defeats the “new order” of one nation and one Constitution in the country. It said: “While Article 170 of the Constitution of India provides that the next delimitation in the country will be taken up after 2026, why has the UT of Jammu and Kashmir been singled out?”
Mumbai Press Exclusive News
Mumbai ACB Arrests Court Officer for ₹15 Lakh Bribe; Metropolitan Magistrate Eijazuddin Kazi Absconding
Mumbai, November: ( By Kamar Ansari)
In a major action against corruption in the judiciary, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Mumbai has arrested a Court Officer attached to the 14th Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Mazgaon, for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹15,00,000, while the Metropolitan Magistrate, Eijazuddin Sallauddin Kazi, has gone absconding.
As per the official ACB release, the arrested accused has been identified as Shashikant Ramchandra Nayak (age 40), Court Officer, 14th Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Mazgaon, Mumbai, while the absconding accused is Eijazuddin Sallauddin Kazi (age 55), Metropolitan Magistrate, 14th Court, Mazgaon, Mumbai.
According to the ACB investigation, both accused had demanded ₹25,00,000 from a complainant, who is an advocate, in connection with a case pending before the Mazgaon Court since 2015. After negotiations, the demand was reduced to ₹15,00,000.
The complainant, unwilling to pay the bribe, approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Mumbai and lodged a formal complaint.
After verifying the allegations, a trap was organized on November 10, 2024, at the 14th Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Mazgaon. During the operation, Court Officer Shashikant Ramchandra Nayak was caught red-handed while accepting ₹15,00,000 on behalf of Metropolitan Magistrate Eijazuddin Kazi.
The ACB seized the bribe amount at the spot, arrested Court Officer Nayak, and initiated further investigation. Magistrate Eijazuddin Kazi fled the location and is currently absconding.
An offence has been registered under Sections 7(a) and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), for demanding and accepting a bribe by a public servant.
The investigation is being conducted under the supervision of Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration), ACB Mumbai, Ms. Nimisha Soni, assisted by Assistant Commissioner of Police Shailesh Sawant and Police Inspector Sunil Raje from ACB Mumbai Division.
The ACB has launched a manhunt to locate and arrest the absconding Metropolitan Magistrate Eijazuddin Sallauddin Kazi.
Mumbai Press Exclusive News
Mumbai: Fake call center exposed, five arrested, used to fool American and Canadian citizens in the name of providing loans
Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has claimed to have busted a gang of fraudsters in the Miland area who were duping American and Canadian nationals through a fake call center and charging them processing fees for obtaining bank loans. Senior Police Inspector Ajay Joshi of the Miland Police Station received information that a person named Sagar Gupta was running a call center with his four associates in a residential building in Miland and he was calling American and Canadian nationals for loans and then charging them $90-100 as processing fees for obtaining payday loans. The police raided the call center and seized two laptops, 11 mobile phones, two routers and other documents, arresting a total of five people. The police have registered a case under the IT Act and cheating against them and started investigation.
Mumbai: Two people jumped into the Mahim creek in Mumbai, due to which they drowned. The search for them is on. Today at around 12:20 pm, Irshad Asif Sheikh, a transgender, aged 22, residing at Lal Mati, Nargis Dutt Nagar, Bandra (West), Mumbai, and Qalander Altaf Khan, aged 20, residing at Lal Mati, Nargis Dutt Nagar, Bandra (West), were standing between a bridge in Bandra. During this, they had an argument and one jumped into the creek while the other also jumped into the water to save him.
During the argument, Irshad jumped into the water and Qalander Khan jumped after him to save him. However, both drowned in the water.
The search operation is on, so far no trace of both has been found. Teams are searching for both.
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