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‘Young want to look cool’: Plea in Supreme Court seeks increase in smoking age

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 A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to ban the sale of loose cigarettes, increase the age of smoking from 18 to 21 years, and also come up with plans to tackle smoking addiction.

The plea, moved by advocates Shubham Awasthi and Sapta Rishi Mishra, said the rate of smoking has been growing since the last two decades and it has grown into such an epidemic that India now ranks second in the smoker’s category for the 16-64 age group.

“That a study published in the Journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research has flagged the severe economic burden of second-hand smoke exposure in India. The study revealed that second hand smoke causes Rs 567 billion in health care costs annually. This accounts for eight per cent of total annual health care expenditure, on top of Rs 1,773 billion in annual economic burden from tobacco use,” said the plea.

The plea said the young people are getting addicted to smoking tobacco products to either look cool or under peer pressure. “They see adults smoking and it becomes a rite of passage or their inducement to initiate smoking to show that they are matured now,” it added.

The plea contended that human right principles can also be invoked to justify protecting individuals from the harms of active smoking. “Most smokers start before adulthood, at a time when the capacity for rationalised, long-term decision-making is not yet fully developed. Many adolescents are lured into cigarette smoking as a rite of passage into adulthood, usually through their peers, unable to fully conceive of the addictive grip of nicotine, and the health impacts they will later experience”, it added.

The petitioners sought a direction to increase the smoking age from 18 to 21, ban on sale of loose cigarettes, and also directions for removal of shops selling cigarettes near educational institutions, public buildings, places of worship etc.

The plea sought guidelines and directions for closing the dedicated smoking zones at airports, clubs, restaurants, hotels, public places and even in private properties being used for commercial purposes in a phased manner so as not to induce smoking among non-smokers.

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SC quashes Gujarat Police FIR against Cong MP Imran Pratapgarhi

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New Delhi, March 28: The Supreme Court on Friday quashed an FIR registered in Gujarat against Congress Rajya Sabha member and poet Imran Pratapgarhi for allegedly disturbing social harmony.

Pronouncing its verdict, a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said that no criminal offence was made out and allowed Pratapgarhi’s plea to quash the complaint alleging that a video posted by the Congress leader on Instagram, which featured a poem, was inciting unrest and harming social peace.

“Even if a large number of persons dislike the views expressed by another, the right of a person to express the views must be respected and protected. Literature, including poetry, drama, films, satire, and art, enriches human life,” observed the Justice Oka-led Bench of the apex court.

After the Gujarat High Court had turned down Pratapgarhi’s plea to quash the FIR, he moved a special leave petition before the Supreme Court.

In an interim order passed on January 21, the Justice Oka-led Bench shielded Pratapgarhi from arrest as it issued a notice to the Gujarat government in the matter, and also, in the meantime, ordered that no coercive steps should be taken against the petitioner in any manner on the basis of the impugned FIR.

During the course of the hearing, the apex court raised questions over the registration of an FIR. “Please see the poem. It’s ultimately a poem. It is not against any religion. It is not against any particular community. Please apply your mind to the poem,” remarked the Justice Oka-led Bench.

The complaint against Imran Pratapgarhi dates back to January 3, when a complaint was filed at the Jamnagar police station by an advocate’s clerk. The complainant alleged that a video posted by Pratapgarhi on Instagram, which featured a poem, was inciting unrest and harming social peace.

Refusing to quash the FIR, the Gujarat HC stated that as a lawmaker, the Congress leader should have acted responsibly and respected the legal process. It further directed him to submit an affidavit clarifying the origin of the poem used in the video.

Pratapgarhi was asked to specify whether the poem was written by him or sourced from elsewhere, and if so, provide the details of its author.

He told the High Court that the poem in question was either written by the renowned poets Faiz Ahmed Faiz or Habib Jalib. He stated that he had found the poem through online sources, including Internet forums and chat rooms, but could not provide a definitive source.

He presented screenshots from an AI tool (ChatGPT) to support his claims. He argued that the poem, which promotes love and non-violence, was harmless and did not constitute a criminal act. However, the prosecution disagreed, asserting that as a parliamentarian, he had a responsibility to act with caution and not to incite public unrest through social media.

The police had issued a notice to Imran Pratapgarhi on January 4, asking him to appear on January 11, but he failed to cooperate with the investigation.

The Gujarat High Court highlighted that Imran Pratapgarhi’s action could not be defended simply based on his status as a public figure. His failure to appear before the authorities and his lack of clarity about the origin of the poem were key factors in turning down his petition. The Gujarat HC ultimately dismissed Pratapgarhi’s plea, reinforcing that lawmakers must uphold the law and act responsibly.

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Rana’s interrogation will expose ISI-Lashkar links in Mumbai attack, says Ujjwal Nikam

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Mumbai, Jan 25: Renowned Special Public Prosecutor of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Ujjwal Nikam, has hailed the US Supreme Court’s decision to extradite Tahawwur Rana, an alleged conspirator in the 26/11 terror attacks, to India.

“This is a major victory for the Indian government,” Nikam stated while addressing the media on Saturday.

He explained that Rana’s appeal to the US Supreme Court, which argued against extradition citing his conviction in a Chicago court, was firmly rejected.

“The U.S. government opposed his petition, emphasising the need for him to face trial in India. The US Supreme Court’s decision paves the way for his extradition,” Nikam elaborated.

Talking about the potential impact of Rana’s interrogation, Nikam said, “This is an essential step forward. His questioning might unveil new dimensions of the Pakistan Army’s involvement in the 26/11 terror attack.”

Recalling his earlier interrogation of David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the Mumbai attack case, Nikam added, “Headley revealed the deep-seated collusion between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Similarly, Rana’s testimony could provide critical insights into the ISI-Lashkar nexus.”

Prominent political figures also commented on the development. Maharashtra BJP MLA Ram Kadam credited Prime Minister Modi’s effective foreign diplomacy for the extradition.

He said, “The path has been cleared to bring Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India. This is a major triumph for the country. His interrogation will once again expose Pakistan’s infamous role in global terrorism.”

Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT), however, asked when other culprits would be brought to justice.

“This is a routine judicial process. While it’s commendable, we must also question the broader issue. When will other culprits like Nirav Modi, Dawood Ibrahim, and Tiger Memon be brought to justice? These matters cannot be overlooked.”

NCP (SP) leader Fahad Ahmad said, “While it is better late than never, we must focus on extracting as much information as possible from the accused. However, this should be a non-partisan effort, free from attempts to seek political credit or portray oneself as a hero. An investigation into the delays in handling this case is necessary to ensure such incidents do not recur in the future.”

Earlier, the US Supreme Court cleared Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India, dismissing his review petition against the move, that is being seen as an outcome of President Trump assuming charge of the country.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is wanted in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks case. This was Rana’s last legal chance not to be extradited to India.

Rana on November 13 filed a “petition for a writ of certiorari” before the US Supreme Court which was denied by the top court, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the American President.

Rana, 64, is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles.

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CAG Report On Delhi Liquor Policy Scam Case: ‘₹ 2,026 Crore Loss’, ‘Violation In Issuance of Licences’ – DETAILS

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New Delhi: A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the now-scrapped excise policy by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi pointed out several “lapses” in the policy. The CAG report claimed that Rs 2,026 crore loss was incurred to the exchequer. The report was released days ahead of the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025. The report alleged that AAP leaders got “kickbacks”. Notably, it is a draft CAG report as it is yet to be tabled in the Delhi Assembly.

The CAG report also claimed that licence norms were flouted. Notably, the then deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was heading the excise department when the policy liquor excise policy was introduced in Delhi. The report highlighted that Sisodia ignored recommendations by the expert panel over the policy.

It also pointed out that arbitrary decisions were taken without any approval from the Lieutenant Governor.

– The 2021 liquor policy caused a whooping loss of Rs over 2,000 crore.

– The entities bidding for the license were not financially strong, yet they were allowed to bid.

– The approval from the then Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and the cabinet was not taken.

– Deviation from the objectives of the policy.

– There is a lack of transparency.

– Violation in the issuance of licences.

Breakdown of the total losses:

As per the CAG report, some of the retailers did not surrender their licences before the expiry of the policy and they were not rendered by the AAP government causing the loss of Rs 890 crore. Zonal licensees were granted exemptions, which reported caused an additional loss of Rs 941 crore. Meanwhile, another license fee waiver of Rs 144 crores was also granted to zonal licensees on the pretext of the COVID restrictions.

The AAP questioned the existence of the CAG report on the Delhi liquor policy scam case.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress lhit at the AAP over the repoprt.

“… CAG has revealed the whole story of the corruption of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who has played the role of a broker by destroying the happiness of Delhi… This is the same CAG report which Arvind Kejriwal used to wave in 2013 to fight against Sheila Dikshit and today the same CAG report has declared Arvind Kejriwal corrupt…” BJP leadre Manoj Tiwari told ANi.

“CAG has said that there has been a scam of Rs 2000 crores in the liquor policy… Now it is clear that he (Arvind Kejriwal) has done wrong… He has emptied the government treasury. If Rs 2000 crores have been spent in 6 months due to the liquor policy. If that scheme was still running, we would have suffered a loss of Rs 10,000-12,000 crores,” Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit stated as reported by the news agency.

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