New Delhi, Jan 23: The Delhi High Court on Friday granted the Lokpal of India a final extension of two months to decide on granting sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a charge sheet against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra in connection with the alleged cash-for-query row.

A Bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar allowed the application moved by the Lokpal seeking additional time, clarifying that no further extension would be granted to the anti-corruption body.

“The period of disposal is extended by two months, while observing that no further request for extension of time shall be entertained,” the Justice Kshetarpal-led Bench ordered.

Remarking that any further delay in deciding the issue would not be acceptable, it stressed that the Lokpal must strictly follow the stipulated timeline.

The present order came on a plea filed by the Lokpal after it failed to take a fresh decision within the earlier time frame fixed by the Delhi High Court.

In an order passed on December 19, 2025, the Justice Kshetarpal-led Bench set aside the Lokpal’s sanction allowing the CBI to file a charge sheet against Moitra, holding that the anti-corruption watchdog had misinterpreted provisions of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

Allowing Moitra’s plea against the sanction order, the Delhi High Court accepted her contention that the Lokpal had failed to properly consider the statutory requirement of examining the comments and material submitted by the public servant before granting sanction. It had directed the Lokpal to reconsider the issue afresh within one month.

However, as the Lokpal did not arrive at a decision within the prescribed period, the anti-corruption body approached the Delhi High Court seeking an extension of time.

The case arose from allegations levelled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, who accused Moitra of accepting cash and luxury gifts from Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for raising questions in the Parliament.

Mumbai: An FIR has been lodged against four people for allegedly cheating a Borivali businessman of Rs 5.10 crore in afake MCX gold trading scheme. The complainant, Vishmani Tiwari, 52, runs a solar company.

In 2010, while living in Thakur Village, Kandivali East, he met Nitesh Mehta, 47, who owned a jewellery shop nearby. Tiwari regularly bought ornaments from Mehta. In January 2023, Mehta and his wife Mukta invited Tiwari to their Monika Jewellers shop.

They claimed they traded gold, silver and diamonds on MCX and pr o mised 40% returns on investments routed through their shop. The scheme was allegedly managed by Nitesh’s father, Shantilal Mehta. Tiwari was convinced and also persuaded two friends to invest.

Tiwari gave Mehta 4.6 kg of gold ornaments worth Rs 4.40 crore and Rs 70 lakh cash. In October 2025, when Tiwari asked for details, Mehta began avoiding him. Visits to the shop were met with excuses about a sick relative. Tiwari later learned his friends had also been duped.

Thane: The Badlapur West police arrested a 37-year-old school van driver for the alleged molestation of a four-year-old girl. The arrest, which took place late Thursday night, comes amid heightened sensitivity in the region regarding student safety. Badlapur cops confirmed that the accused has been booked under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and is scheduled to be produced in court on Friday.

The victim is a Junior KG student at an English medium school located approximately three kilometres from her residence. According to an Media report, the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon while the accused was dropping the child home after school hours. The girl was reportedly the last student remaining in the van when the driver allegedly touched her inappropriately.

Upon returning home, the child appeared visibly frightened and initially refused to speak with her parents. Sensing that something was wrong, the parents eventually took the child into confidence, at which point she revealed the details of the ordeal. The family later approached the Badlapur West police station to lodge a formal complaint, leading to the immediate dispatch of a police team to the driver’s residence and arrest him.

The police intend to seek custody of the accused to carry out a deeper investigation into his background, after he is produced in the court today. Officials stated that once custody is secured, they will investigate how long he has been working as a driver and whether he has a prior criminal record or a history of similar incidents. The authorities are looking to verify if any lapses occurred in the vetting process for the school’s transport services.

This case has reignited concerns in Badlapur, a town that saw widespread protests in August of last year following the sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a cleaning staff member at a private school. That previous incident, which was marked by public outrage over a perceived delay in police action, ended with the accused being killed in a police encounter.