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Crime

SC closes PIL against alarming rise in lynchings, mob violence

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New Delhi, Feb 11: The Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of a PIL seeking directions to DGPs of states to take immediate action in lynching and mob violence cases in accordance with the directions of the apex court and added that the directions in the Tehseen Poonawalla vs. Union of India case were binding on all authorities across India.

A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.Vinod Chandran opined that sitting in the national Capital, it cannot monitor incidents in different areas of different states across the country.

“Sitting in Delhi, we cannot monitor incidents in different areas of the country and in our view such micromanagement would not be feasible,” said the Justice Gavai-led Bench.

It added that the directions laid down by the top court in the case of Tehseen Poonawalla vs. Union of India, are binding on all authorities across the country under Article 141 of the Constitution.

In its 2018 judgment in the Poonawalla case, the Supreme Court had directed designation of nodal officer in each district for taking measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching.

“The Director General of Police/the Secretary, Home Department of the concerned states shall take regular review meetings (at least once a quarter) with all the Nodal Officers and State Police Intelligence heads,” it had ordered.

In its order, the Justice Gavai-led Bench stated that an aggrieved person can always seek remedy in accordance with the law, clarifying that the apex court cannot lay down any uniform criteria for the grant of compensation to the victims of mob lynching incidents since the quantum of compensation ought to be decided on a case to case basis.

Further, the apex court refused to examine the validity of cow protection laws introduced in several states, suggesting the litigants to approach the jurisdictional High Court.

“It will be appropriate that persons who are aggrieved approach jurisdictional High Courts to challenge the vires of the legislations/notifications,” the SC said.

During the course of hearing, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, the second-highest law officer of the Centre, submitted that mob lynching is a distinct offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and if there is any violation, the law will take its own course.

In an earlier hearing, the top court had pulled up the state governments of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Bihar for not filing their counter-affidavits.

“We clarify that in the event counter affidavits are not filed by the above-mentioned states, the Chief Secretaries of the said states shall remain personally present in the court on the next date of hearing to show cause as to why an action should not be taken against them for non-compliance of the orders of the court,” it had said in an order passed on November 5, 2024.

Earlier in April last year, the apex court had granted six weeks to various state governments to file their reply detailing the action taken in cases of lynchings and mob violence.

“It was expected of the state governments to at least respond and give details as to what action has been taken in respect of the said instances (of lynchings and mob violence). We, therefore, grant six weeks’ time to all the state governments – who have not yet filed their affidavits – to file their counter-reply and give an explanation as to what action has been taken by the states in respect of incidents mentioned in the writ petition or interlocutory applications,” the SC had said.

In July 2023, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Maharashtra governments. Later, all state governments were added as parties in the PIL on an application moved by Islamic clerics’ organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The plea prayed for a minimum uniform compensation to be determined by the court that should be granted to the victims or their families in addition to the amount determined by the authorities.

“In most cases, minimal action of merely registering FIRs is the only thing that is done by the authorities which seems to be more of a formality than any genuine initiation of the criminal machinery,” the plea said.

Crime

Delhi Police arrest man, recover 16 stolen bicycles

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New Delhi, Nov 17: In a successful operation, a Delhi Police team arrested a bicycle thief and recovered 16 stolen bicycles, officials said on Monday.

During the investigation, more than 300 CCTV cameras from areas near the theft sites were examined, and local informers were activated. Both technical and manual intelligence inputs were collected to trace the culprits. The bicycle thief was previously involved in four criminal cases.

According to a statement released by the Dwarka South Police Station, the officers became more concerned after the recent rise in bicycle thefts in the Dwarka South area. Recognising that for many residents a bicycle is an essential possession, the police resolved to identify the offender and restore the stolen bicycles to their rightful owners.

A dedicated team was constituted by Inspector Rajesh Kumar Sah (SHO, Dwarka South), under the close supervision of ACP Dwarka, Kishor Kumar Rewala. The team included HC Sudhir Kumar (987/DW), HC Manoj Kumar (828/DW), HC Gaje Singh (1030/DW), HC Surender (764/DW), and Ct. Tushar Yadav (1803/DW).

On October 28, at around 7:00 p.m., HC Manoj received secret information that the thief would arrive near DDA Park or Bhains Wala Park within a few minutes. He immediately alerted the team, and the officers reached the location and laid a trap near Bhains Wala Park.

After some time, a man was spotted riding a bicycle from the direction of Ganpati Chowk towards Bhains Wala Park. His behaviour appeared suspicious, and the police signalled for him to stop. Instead of complying, he attempted to flee towards DDA Park, Dwarka Sector 7, abandoning the bicycle.

The team chased and apprehended him. Upon inspection, the bicycle matched the description of one reported stolen in e-FIR 80101951/2025, registered under Section 303(2) BNS at Dwarka South Police Station.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that he had stolen the bicycle from Ramphal Chowk Road, in front of Instyle Salon, Sector 7, Dwarka. He further revealed that he had stolen several other bicycles. Based on his disclosures, the police recovered 15 additional bicycles from different locations after sustained effort.

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Crime

Haryana Police arrest over 3,000 criminals in 11 days under ‘Operation Trackdown’

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Chandigarh, Nov 17: The Haryana Police, under their recently launched ‘Operation Trackdown, have, in 11 days, arrested more than 3,000 criminals, said officials, adding that this has reinforced the state government’s firm commitment to ensure safety and dismantle organised crime syndicates.

According to a statement released by Haryana Police, the intensive operation, launched on November 5, has now completed its 11th day, further tightening the grip of law enforcement across the state and instilling fear among criminal elements. On the 11th day alone, police arrested 96 notorious offenders involved in various crimes. With this action, the total number of arrests made under Operation Trackdown has reached 3,172.

These arrests include 610 individuals involved in serious and heinous crimes, while the number of criminals arrested in other cases has risen to 2,562. Providing further details, IG Rakesh Arya stated that on November 15, police made eight arrests in seven murder cases and one attempt-to-murder case. Additionally, 29 arrests were made in 23 cases, and 27 criminals were apprehended in 22 cases registered under the Arms Act for illegal weapons possession. In total, 67 offenders were sent to jail in connection with 54 serious cases.

To intensify the crackdown, history sheets were opened for 19 accused individuals on November 15, bringing the total number of criminals with newly opened history sheets to 150. This growing figure underscores the Haryana Police’s dedication to eliminating crime and reflects the operation’s highly effective results in advancing the goal of making Haryana a crime-free state.

In a significant development under the ongoing campaign, Karnal Police arrested four notorious criminals involved in cases of snatching and firing. Acting on the instructions of the Haryana Director General of Police, Karnal Police recorded two major achievements as part of Operation Trackdown, a special initiative aimed at curbing organised crime across the state. By demonstrating promptness, vigilance, and proactive strategy, the district police strengthened law and order through the arrest of four wanted criminals implicated in serious offences.

The first major action pertained to a robbery and snatching incident. On November 13, the accused and his accomplices robbed the complainant, Kamaljeet, who was walking along the canal bank toward the village of Kalri Nanhera. A case (number 650) was registered at Indri Police Station. Acting swiftly, a team led by Sub-Inspector Sumit Kumar, under the supervision of Inspector Vipin Kumar, Station House Officer of Indri, apprehended the accused, Yogesh, son of Dan Singh, a resident of Nauratha, Indri, Karnal.

It was reported that Yogesh is a hardened and highly skilled criminal. Besides the robbery case, he faces eight additional cases registered at Indri Police Station under various serious sections, including theft and offences related to the Arms Act. After extensive interrogation, Yogesh was produced before the court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody in the district jail.

Karnal Police also achieved another breakthrough in the CNG petrol pump firing case. Under the guidance of the Superintendent of Police, Karnal, and through continuous surveillance under Operation Trackdown, a team from Gharaunda Police Station, acting on credible information, arrested three wanted accused. These individuals had created panic by firing indiscriminately following a minor altercation with a CNG pump employee in Gharaunda on the night of October 13, before fleeing the scene.

The arrested individuals were identified as Jitendra, son of Satpal (Panipat); Sachin alias Ricky, son of Harish Bhardwaj (Shivah, Panipat); and Deepak, son of Karamveer (Jatal, Panipat). A case was registered against them under Section 109(1) of the IPC and relevant provisions of the Arms Act in case number 624 at Gharaunda Police Station. All three were taken on production warrants for detailed interrogation.

The main accused, Jitendra, already has four serious cases registered against him, including attempt to murder, rioting, and fraud. After interrogation, all three accused were produced before the court once again and sent to the district jail.

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Crime

Mumbai: 27-Year-Old French Tourist Molested In Khar; Accused Arrested Within 24 Hours

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Mumbai: A 27-year-old French tourist was allegedly molested in Khar on November 8, prompting swift action from the Khar police, who arrested the accused within 24 hours.

The complainant, who was staying in Bandra West, was walking along a road in Khar West around 9 pm when an unknown man on a two-wheeler stopped near her and molested her. She filed a complaint on Saturday, after which the police registered a case under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Given that the victim is a foreign national, the police formed special teams to trace the accused. After examining CCTV footage, conducting technical analysis, and acting on information from an undercover informant, the police arrested Sunil Vaghela, 25, a resident of Dharavi. The two-wheeler used in the crime has also been seized.

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