#MeToo: Delhi HC rejects plea seeking Centre and NCW’s suo motu cognisance of complaints
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a public interest litigation that demanded that the Centre and National Commission for Women take suo motu notice of sexual harassment and assault complaints on social media, PTI reported. Petitioner and advocate Joginder Kumar Sukhija said several women had taken to sharing their experiences on social media as part of the #MeToo movement.
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Enforcement Directorate seeks custodial interrogation of P Chidambaram in Aircel-Maxis case
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday told a court in Delhi that it is opposed to the anticipatory bail petition of former Union minister P Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case, PTI reported. Special judge OP Saini will hear Chidambaram’s bail plea on Thursday. The agency sought Chidambaram’s custody so that he can be interrogated and said granting him anticipatory bail would “vitiate the investigation”.
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Delhi court grants bail to CBI official Devender Kumar arrested in bribery case
The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Wednesday granted bail to Central Bureau of Investigation’s Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, ANI reported. The court asked him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and one surety in the same amount. Kumar, who was arrested on October 22 in connection with a bribery case, was sent to judicial custody on Tuesday for 14 days.
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CBI tussle: Another agency official moves Delhi High Court against Special Director Rakesh Asthana
A Central Bureau of Investigation officer on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that Special Director Rakesh Asthana was misleading it by placing “selective facts” before it in a bribery case. The court is hearing petitions filed by Asthana and Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar seeking to quash the probe agency’s First Information Report against them in a bribery case.
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Anupam Kher resigns as FTII chairman citing busy international schedule
Senior actor Anupam Kher on Wednesday resigned as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India, citing a busy schedule due to his international assignments. Kher sent his resignation to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
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Muzaffarpur rapes: Bihar government tells SC that police could not trace former minister Manju Verma
The Bihar government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that police could not trace former social welfare minister Manju Verma while investigating a case related to the recovery of ammunition from her house.
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Only green firecrackers will be sold in NCR this festival season: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Wednesday clarified that only green firecrackers will be sold in the National Capital Region this festival season. Other kinds of firecrackers, if already procured, can be sold only outside the Delhi-NCR region, a bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said.
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‘Subject matter of government’s consultations with RBI are not made public’: Finance Ministry
The government on Wednesday said the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India is “essential”, but acknowledged that it holds consultations with the central bank on several matters. However, it only makes public the final decisions made after such consultations, and not the subject matter of those talks, said the Ministry of Finance.
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MJ Akbar claims Priya Ramani defamed him by calling him a ‘talented predator’
Former Union Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar on Wednesday appeared at the Patiala House Court to record his testimony in a defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani. Akbar had filed the case against Ramani after she accused him of sexual harassment. Senior advocate Geeta Luthra is representing Akbar in the case.
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Sensex and Nifty end on a strong note after finance ministry assures RBI of its autonomy
The benchmark indices on Wednesday pared losses and ended on a strong note, closing at more than 1.5% amid reports of a rift between the Reserve Bank of India and the Centre. The surge came after the finance ministry said it acknowledged the RBI’s autonomy. The rupee also partially recovered and was trading at 73.93 against the dollar at 4.10 pm.
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SC refuses early hearing of review petitions on Sabarimala row
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused early hearing of petitions seeking a review of its verdict allowing women of all ages entry into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the temple opens only for 24 hours between November 5 and November 6 and questioned the rush. All the petitions will be heard after Diwali, as the Supreme Court has already listed review petitions for November 13.
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Hashimpura massacre: 16 policemen sentenced to life for killing 42 men in 1987
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sentenced 16 policemen to life imprisonment for killing 42 Muslim men in Uttar Pradesh’s Hashimpura in 1987. A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel convicted the 16 former Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel for murder, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.
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Chhattisgarh: Police constable injured in Maoist ambush in Dantewada dies, toll rises to four
A police official who was injured in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district died early on Wednesday. Assistant Constable Rakesh Kaushal succumbed to injuries a day after the ambush.
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Tamil Nadu: 18 disqualified MLAs won’t move court, will contest bye-polls, says TTV Dhinakaran
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday announced that the 18 Tamil Nadu legislators whose disqualification was upheld by the Madras High Court last week will not appeal against the verdict.
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Supreme Court asks Centre for pricing details in Rafale jet deal
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to submit more details – including pricing – related to the Rafale aircraft deal in a sealed cover in 10 days.
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Centre considering invoking powers never used before to instruct RBI on certain matters: Reports
The government has initiated talks with the Reserve Bank of India to consider invoking a provision never used before, which could empower it to issue directions to the central bank on certain matters, CNBC-TV18reported on Wednesday. Section 7 of the RBI Act empowers the government to consult and instruct the central bank governor on matters it considers to be serious or of public interest.
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Jaish-e-Mohammed says chief Masood Azhar’s nephew among militants killed in Tral
The nephew of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was one of the two suspected militants killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday, reported the GNS Kashmir news agency. The gunfight with government forces broke out in Tral region’s Chankitar village.
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Bihar: Infant dies allegedly after rats bite him at government hospital, inquiry ordered
A nine-day-old baby died at a government hospital in Bihar’s Darbhanga district on Tuesday after being bitten by rats, his family claimed. The district administration has ordered an investigation into the matter. The Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital has denied the allegation.
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Rafale: Supreme Court to hear petitions on alleged irregularities in defence deal
The Supreme Court will hear a batch of petitions, including a plea by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and advocate Prashant Bhushan, on the Rafale defence deal on Wednesday.
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Narendra Modi unveiled the Statue of Unity, a tribute to Vallabhbhai Patel
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Statue of Unity in Gujarat on Wednesday. Built at a cost of about Rs 3,000 crore, and standing at a height of 182 metres, Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue is the tallest in the world and will surpass China’s Spring Temple Buddha (128 metres).
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SC order on firecrackers to be strictly followed in Delhi-NCR: Environment minister
Minister for Environment and Forest Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that the Supreme Court order on bursting firecrackers should be strictly followed. The Union minister, however, admitted that “green firecrackers” would not be available this festival season.
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Gujarat: Police arrest tribal activists, fearing protests during inauguration of Patel’s statue
Police in Gujarat arrested several tribal activists in Narmada district on Tuesday, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate a statue of Vallabhbhai Patel. The activists were detained in Kevadia, Rajpipla and Dediapada talukas. The Statue of Unity, built at a cost of about Rs 3,000 crore, and at at height of 182 metres, will be the tallest in the world.
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Goa: Amid reports of poor health, Chief Minister’s Office releases image of Manohar Parrikar
Amidst intense speculation about the health status of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and questions raised by the Congress over the past week, his office on Tuesday released a picture of him chairing a meeting of the Investment Promotion Board held at his residence.
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Vijay Mallya’s plea seeking stay on ED’s attempt to list him as fugitive economic offender rejected
A special court in Mumbai on Tuesday dismissed businessman Vijay Mallya’s petition seeking a stay on the Enforcement Directorate’s attempt to declare him a fugitive economic offender.
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