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SC to set up bench to hear plea against bail to Ashish Misra in Lakhimpur Kheri case

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will constitute a bench to hear on Wednesday a plea filed by the family members of the farmers, mowed by a car belonging to Ashish Misra, in Lakhimpur Kheri challenging bail granted to him by the Allahabad High Court.

Misra is the son of Union Minister and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Misra.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said a bench will be constituted, which heard the matter earlier and scheduled the matter for hearing on Wednesday.

Earlier, a bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli had appointed a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to monitor the probe.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing some farmers, submitted that there was an attack on one of the prime witnesses in the case. Bhushan claimed people who attacked the witness threatened by saying that now that the BJP has won, they will take care of him. He had submitted that other co-accused are also seeking bail relying on the high court order. In February, a single-judge bench of the high court granted bail to Mishra who had spent four months in custody.

On March 11, the Supreme Court had agreed to list on March 15, a plea filed by the family members of the farmers, mowed by a car belonging to Ashish Misra, in Lakhimpur Kheri challenging bail granted to him by the Allahabad High Court.

The plea contended that the family members were forced to move the apex court since Uttar Pradesh has failed to file an appeal challenging bail granted to Misra.

The plea argued that the high court granted bail without considering the heinous nature of the crime and also in the backdrop of overwhelming evidence against the accused in the charge sheet. The plea further argued that there is likelihood of the accused tampering with the witnesses and causing obstruction in justice.

In November last year, the Supreme Court appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to monitor the Lakhimpur Kheri violence probe. The top court also reconstituted the SIT investigating the incident and appointed IPS officer S.B. Shiradkar, as its head.

Misra was arrested on October 9 last year in the case. On October 3, 2021, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in clashes during a farmers’ protest.

Crime

Delhi Police register FIR against unknown persons in Jamia vandalism case

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The Delhi Police on Thursday lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against unknown persons in connection with an incident involving vandalism and damage to property at the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), officials said.

According to the police, the case has been registered at Jamia Nagar Police Station, on the complaint of the varsity administration.

This is the second FIR registered in connection with the ongoing students’ protests at the university in recent days.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had registered an FIR at the Jamia Nagar police station against Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Imran Masood, as well as Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah Nadvi, following a complaint by Jamia Millia Islamia registrar Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi.

Rizvi had alleged that the Congress MPs entered the campus without authorisation on separate occasions, amid the ongoing agitation.

Students of the university have been staging a hunger strike since October 12 demanding the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) and the removal of the University’s Chief Proctor over a “crackdown” on protesters.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the university expressed deep shock, disappointment, and concern regarding the incidents that took place on Tuesday night, which involved vandalism and damage to university property.

The varsity said that upon receiving reports of attacks on the campus, the proctorial team and JMI faculty members immediately arrived on the spot.

“They discovered that groups of protesting students and local residents had vandalised University gates and walls, brought down Gate No. 4C, pelted stones, and damaged the CCTV control room and cameras, while also severing their connections. It is reported that a group of masked protesters even reached the University’s boys’ hostel in an attempt to mobilise more individuals to join them,” the JMI said in a statement.

According to the University, viral social media videos posted by the protesting students themselves show extensive damage inflicted upon JMI property.

“This has left the university community deeply distressed and outraged,” it said.

“Most concerning is the fact that the vandalism began shortly after members of the protesting student committee had been in discussions with JMI faculty (this marked the seventh such attempt at dialogue initiated by the university administration),” the University said.

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Crime

CBI conducts searches in SBI fraud case against Aaj Ka Anand Papers Pvt Ltd

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday carried out searches at multiple locations in Pune in connection with an alleged bank fraud case involving M/s Aaj Ka Anand Papers Pvt Ltd, an official statement said.

The agency recently registered a case against the company, its directors and unknown public servants based on a complaint filed by the State Bank of India (SBI), Mumbai.

The complaint alleges criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and manipulation of accounts, resulting in a wrongful loss of Rs 81.66 crore to the bank.

According to the CBI, the accused allegedly suppressed and misappropriated business revenues, altered and falsified books of accounts and electronic records, and diverted funds in violation of lending conditions.

Investigators suspect that substantial amounts were routed through current accounts maintained outside the designated banking channels without obtaining the consent of consortium lenders.

The agency said the alleged diversion of funds and unauthorised transactions amounted to cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and criminal conspiracy, causing significant financial loss to SBI.

As part of the ongoing probe, CBI teams searched several premises linked to the company and its directors. The searches covered both office establishments and residential properties associated with the accused persons.

During the operation, investigators recovered documents and digital evidence that are believed to be relevant to the case. The seized material is being examined to ascertain the full extent of the alleged fraud, including the suspected diversion and misappropriation of funds, as well as the involvement of other individuals who may have played a role in the conspiracy.

The CBI said the evidence collected during the searches would help investigators trace the flow of funds and determine whether there were any violations of banking norms and sanction conditions imposed by the lending institutions.

Further investigation in the case is underway, the agency added.

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Crime

Delhi Crime Branch arrests wanted mother-son duo in MCOCA, NDPS cases

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The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a wanted mother-son duo linked to an organised drug syndicate and facing cases under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, officials said on Thursday.

The accused have been identified as Neelam Rana, 47, wife of Rajesh Rana alias Bunty, and her son Rahul Rana, 27. Both were wanted in FIR No. 74/2026, registered under Sections 3 and 4 of MCOCA at Tilak Nagar police station, and FIR No. 968/2021, registered under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act at Khyala police station.

Proceedings under Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) had been initiated against both accused by the concerned courts. Rajesh Rana, who is the head of the syndicate, has already been charge-sheeted in the MCOCA case and is currently in judicial custody.

According to police, a team from the Western Range-II unit of the Crime Branch was constituted on the directions of DCP Harsh Indora following specific intelligence received by Head Constable Pramod Kumar. The team was led by Inspector Satish Malik under the supervision of ACP Raj Pal Dabas.

The team included Sub-Inspectors Anuj Chhikara and Pradeep Dahiya, Assistant Sub-Inspector Shreeom, and Head Constables Ravinder Singh, Pramod Kumar and Azad.

SI Anuj Chhikara and HC Ravinder Singh conducted technical surveillance to trace the accused. Following sustained efforts, the team located them at their residential premises in Bindapur and Mahavir Enclave, Delhi, on October 27.

After the court proceedings and completing the necessary legal formalities, both were arrested under Section 35(1)(c) of the BNSS.

Police said Neelam Rana had been involved in 13 criminal cases since 1995, including cases under the Excise Act and the NDPS Act. Non-bailable warrants were also pending against her in two NDPS cases. Rahul Rana is also an accused in an NDPS case and a separate case registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to investigators, Neelam Rana began selling liquor illegally in the Khyala and Tilak Nagar areas with her husband and his family. She later allegedly became involved in procuring and selling heroin, also known as smack. Her son Rahul Rana allegedly joined the illegal drug trade.

The police further alleged that the family operated an organised syndicate led by Rajesh Rana, generating substantial proceeds from drug trafficking. Following his arrest, Neelam and Rahul went into hiding and frequently changed locations to evade arrest.

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