Above the Fold: Top stories of the day
1. Unidentified Army sources continue to tell the Indian media that they were incredibly efficient with the operation across the border in Myanmar, where they now claim to have killed as many as 100 militants, although the outfit they said they had hit has challenged the Army to display the bodies. Myanmar has claimed that the operation only took place on the Indian side.
2. The Brahmaputra is above the danger mark in the North East, with 13 districts and nearly 2 lakh people affected by the first wave of floods.
3. The government has not been reluctant to criticise the collegium system of self-appointment for judges, as the Supreme Court hears a case on the validity of the new National Judicial Appointments Commission, with the Centre happy to provide a sealed envelope with a list of "bad appointments" made through the old system.
The Big Story: Who died?
After it emerged that four of the 12 alleged Maoists killed by state and Central police in Jharkhand on Monday, it has now turned out that only seven have been identified. Six of them had no police cases against them. Worse, the police have yet to file a First Information Report in the case, with the Inspector General of Palamau saying that the police have violated the 24-hour FIR rule because "officers are likely to be writing the FIR carefully."
The authorities had passed off the attack as being one of the most successful operations on Maoists in the area in recent times, claiming that they had manage to take down RK Prasad, a well-known Naxalite allegedly involved in planting explosives. But the operation also saw the killing of Prasad's son, his nephew and several other youngsters, the relatives of whom have been adamant that they were not Maoists.
The families, many of whom admit Prasad was a Maoist, are calling the incident a "fake encounter". They are asking whether it is a crime to be a relative of an alleged criminal and have asserted that they will be going to court in the case. The authorities meanwhile, have been unable to identify the four minors who were killed.
The Big Scroll: Scroll.in on the day's biggest story
If even membership of a Maoist body is not a crime, as the Kerala High Court has established, how could being related to one mean you are marked out for death?
To get Scroll's Daily Fix, a compendium of all you need to know for the day (and a little more) on your phone, download our Android app.
Politicking & Policying
1. Caravan's Krishn Kaushik reports on the Essar email leaks, pointing out how the Office of the President of India worked to ensure his granddaughter was placed with the company in London and how Essar has had access to confidential government documents including ones related to the budget.
2. The NITI Aayog, prime minister Narendra Modi's replacement for the Planning Commission, was set up with lots of fanfare last year. Since then, however, the organisation has barely had an idea what it does and its head, eminent economist Arvind Panagariya, seems to have effectively been left out of government, P Vaidyanathan Iyer reports.
3. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, currently under pressure because of allegations that he abetted the bribing of an MLA to vote a certain way, on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain what was happening.
Punditry
1. The government has done well to be scam free, but clarity in policy and proportionality in punishment for multinational companies when something goes wrong has suffered, writes Rahul Jacob in the Business Standard.
2. Praveen Swami in the Indian Express writes about the massive poppy business in Myanmar, which has fueled a war between the country's armed forces and narcotics mafia, helping inflame the insurgencies across the border in India.
3. A leader in the Business Standard commends the Reserve Bank of India for actually taking on chronic defaulters of debt, but what really needs to happen is a proper bankruptcy law.
Don't Miss
Anumeha Yadav reports on the plight of Uber and Ola drivers who have been left out in the cold as Delhi attempts to ban the taxi apps.
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1. Unidentified Army sources continue to tell the Indian media that they were incredibly efficient with the operation across the border in Myanmar, where they now claim to have killed as many as 100 militants, although the outfit they said they had hit has challenged the Army to display the bodies. Myanmar has claimed that the operation only took place on the Indian side.
2. The Brahmaputra is above the danger mark in the North East, with 13 districts and nearly 2 lakh people affected by the first wave of floods.
3. The government has not been reluctant to criticise the collegium system of self-appointment for judges, as the Supreme Court hears a case on the validity of the new National Judicial Appointments Commission, with the Centre happy to provide a sealed envelope with a list of "bad appointments" made through the old system.
The Big Story: Who died?
After it emerged that four of the 12 alleged Maoists killed by state and Central police in Jharkhand on Monday, it has now turned out that only seven have been identified. Six of them had no police cases against them. Worse, the police have yet to file a First Information Report in the case, with the Inspector General of Palamau saying that the police have violated the 24-hour FIR rule because "officers are likely to be writing the FIR carefully."
The authorities had passed off the attack as being one of the most successful operations on Maoists in the area in recent times, claiming that they had manage to take down RK Prasad, a well-known Naxalite allegedly involved in planting explosives. But the operation also saw the killing of Prasad's son, his nephew and several other youngsters, the relatives of whom have been adamant that they were not Maoists.
The families, many of whom admit Prasad was a Maoist, are calling the incident a "fake encounter". They are asking whether it is a crime to be a relative of an alleged criminal and have asserted that they will be going to court in the case. The authorities meanwhile, have been unable to identify the four minors who were killed.
The Big Scroll: Scroll.in on the day's biggest story
If even membership of a Maoist body is not a crime, as the Kerala High Court has established, how could being related to one mean you are marked out for death?
To get Scroll's Daily Fix, a compendium of all you need to know for the day (and a little more) on your phone, download our Android app.
Politicking & Policying
1. Caravan's Krishn Kaushik reports on the Essar email leaks, pointing out how the Office of the President of India worked to ensure his granddaughter was placed with the company in London and how Essar has had access to confidential government documents including ones related to the budget.
2. The NITI Aayog, prime minister Narendra Modi's replacement for the Planning Commission, was set up with lots of fanfare last year. Since then, however, the organisation has barely had an idea what it does and its head, eminent economist Arvind Panagariya, seems to have effectively been left out of government, P Vaidyanathan Iyer reports.
3. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, currently under pressure because of allegations that he abetted the bribing of an MLA to vote a certain way, on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain what was happening.
Punditry
1. The government has done well to be scam free, but clarity in policy and proportionality in punishment for multinational companies when something goes wrong has suffered, writes Rahul Jacob in the Business Standard.
2. Praveen Swami in the Indian Express writes about the massive poppy business in Myanmar, which has fueled a war between the country's armed forces and narcotics mafia, helping inflame the insurgencies across the border in India.
3. A leader in the Business Standard commends the Reserve Bank of India for actually taking on chronic defaulters of debt, but what really needs to happen is a proper bankruptcy law.
Don't Miss
Anumeha Yadav reports on the plight of Uber and Ola drivers who have been left out in the cold as Delhi attempts to ban the taxi apps.
There has been no formal communication from the companies to the drivers since the June 2 order. “I went to Ola Cabs Gurgaon office on June 6 to enquire. An official told me it was not their fault but that they will find a solution after the courts opened after the summer vacation,” recounted Anil Kumar. “They said to keep driving and that they will reimburse us if we are fined or the car gets impounded. But how is that possible? If the car gets impounded, then we are finished,” he added.
