Top news: Cyrus Mistry to be restored as Tata Sons executive chairperson

‘Vindication of my stand,’ says Cyrus Mistry after being reinstated as Tata Sons chairperson

Businessman Cyrus Mistry on Wednesday said National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s decision to restore him as the executive chairperson of Tata Sons was a vindication of the stand he took after the company’s board removed him three years ago “without warning or reason”. Mistry said the judgement was not a personal victory. “It is a victory for the principles of good governance and minority shareholder rights,” he added.

Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance of rising rape cases, seeks details from states, High Courts

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the rising number of rape cases in India, and sought responses and status reports from all states, Union Territories and High Courts by February 7, 2020, PTI reported. The court has asked for information about investigation, collection of evidence, forensic and medical evidence, recording of statement of complainants and the time frame for trials.

Citizenship Act: Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid says amended law has nothing to do with Indian Muslims

The Shahi Imam of New Delhi’s Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, has said that the Citizenship Amendment Act “has nothing to do with Muslims living in India”, ANI reported on Wednesday. The imam told a gathering on Tuesday that the National Register of Citizens had not yet become law.

2012 gangrape: Delhi court adjourns hearing on issuing death warrants, victim’s mother breaks down

A court in Delhi on Wednesday refused to immediately issue warrants to execute the four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape case, and directed Tihar Jail authorities to ask them if they were planning to file mercy pleas before President Ram Nath Kovind, PTI reported.

Cyrus Mistry wins appeal against sacking, to return as Tata Sons chairperson

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Wednesday ordered that Cyrus Mistry should be restored as the executive chairperson of Tata Sons. The National Company Law Tribunal had in July 2018 dismissed Mistry’s plea against his removal in October 2016.

JNU standoff: VC is rejecting efforts to find solution, teachers’ association tells President Kovind

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association on Wednesday wrote an open letter to President Ram Nath Kovind against the alleged “misgovernance” of Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar. The association alleged that Kumar has been rejecting every effort made to find a solution to the crisis at the university.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik says his party does not support NRC after it voted for Citizenship Bill

The Biju Janata Dal had backed the Citizenship Amendment Act in Parliament. “The Citizenship Amendment Act has nothing to do with Indian citizens,” Patnaik said. “It only deals with foreigners. The Biju Janata Dal MPs, both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, have made it clear that we do not support the NRC.”

Ayodhya trust will have no BJP member, Centre won’t spend money on the temple, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said no one from the Bharatiya Janata Party will be part of the trust that will oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. “I want to make two things clear: there won’t be any trustee from among BJP members and the government will not spend anything on the project,” Shah said in an interview to Times Now. “The trust will have to collect donations from the society to make it [the temple].”

On November 9, the Supreme Court’s five-judge Constitution bench had asked the Centre to set up a trust within three months to oversee the construction of a Ram temple at the site in Ayodhya where the Babri Masjid stood till 1992.

Jamia Millia Islamia violence: Delhi HC agrees to hear plea to set up fact-finding committee

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a public interest litigation seeking the setting up of a fact-finding committee to look into the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University on Sunday, PTI reported.

On Wednesday, advocate Rizwan, representing the petitioners, mentioned the plea before a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Rekha Palli. The court agreed to hear the public interest litigation on Thursday.

‘Why should I prove I’m Indian?’ Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel says he will not sign NRC

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Tuesday that he will be the “first person” to not sign the National Register of Citizens if the Centre implements it in the state, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday.

“We have a big challenge in front of us with the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre,” Baghel told party workers at the headquarters in Raipur. “Their policies are only to mislead people, to instigate people, to set fire, to cut and divide.” The Congress leader was speaking on the occasion of the completion of one year of his government.

Jaipur bomb blasts case: Special court convicts four of the five accused

A special court on Wednesday convicted four of the five accused in the 2008 Jaipur bomb blasts case, in which at least 71 people were killed, News18 reported. The court acquitted the fifth accused, identified as Shahbad Hussain, due to lack of evidence.

Three accused in the case are still absconding. Two other accused had been killed in the Batla House encounter in September 2008.

Delhi 2012 gangrape: Supreme Court rejects review petition of convict

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the review petition of one of the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape case, reported Bar and Bench. The three-judge bench of Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and AS Bopanna said the grounds raised by Akshay Kumar Singh were identical to the ones mentioned in the review petitions filed in this case by other convicts and all of those were dismissed. “We do not find any error on the face of the record,” said the court.

The mother of the woman said she was very happy that the court has rejected the review petition, reported ANI.

Citizenship Act: SC issues notice to Centre, asks it to respond by second week of January

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Centre asking it to reply by the second week of January to all 60 petitions challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act, Live Law reported.

Live updates: Amit Shah defiant as Citizenship Act protests continue, SC to hear petitions today

The Supreme Court will on Wednesday hear a bunch of petitions challenging the recent amendments to the Citizenship Act, even as protests against the new law raged across the country in various forms. The amendments have relaxed conditions for migrants of six non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to get Indian citizenship.

Jamia violence: Three students, former Congress MLA among seven named in FIR

Three Jamia Millia Islamia University students were among seven people booked by the Delhi Police in connection with Sunday’s violence in Jamia Nagar area during protests against the amended Citizenship Act, PTI reported on Tuesday. The students have been charged with culpable homicide, rioting and assault on public servants, reported The Telegraph. None of these seven people have been arrested yet.

Citizenship Act: Police enter Madras University, refuse to release two students until protest stops

Students of Madras University continued their protest on Tuesday against the amended Citizenship Act and the violence at Jamia even after the police entered the campus and the management urged them to call it off. The police, however, said the university authorities had asked for help, reported NDTV. The university has declared holiday till December 23.

Citizenship Act protests: Over 10,000 academics, scholars condemn ‘police brutality’ at Jamia, AMU

Over 10,000 academics, scholars, teachers, students and members of civil society from around the world have condemned the alleged police brutality against students at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh. They have expressed their unconditional support to the students, faculty and staff of the two varsities.

Actor Payal Rohatgi gets bail a day after being jailed for ‘objectionable remark’ about Nehru family

Bollywood actor Payal Rohatgi was granted bail on Tuesday, a day after a local court in Rajasthan sent her to judicial custody for eight days for allegedly making objectionable remarks about former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s family, PTI reported. Rajasthan Police had detained Rohatgi on Sunday on the basis of a complaint filed in October by state Youth Congress General Secretary Charmesh Sharma.

Citizenship Act protests: Assam government sets up SIT to investigate last week’s violence

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced the formation of a special investigation team to conduct inquiries into the violence that broke out in the state last week against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Five protestors died, with four killed in police firing.

Dhaka willing to take back undocumented Muslim migrants if India provides evidence, says official

An advisor to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told PTI on Tuesday that the country will take back undocumented Bangladeshi Muslim migrants in India if New Delhi provides evidence.