Tamil Nadu: SC says Singh's appointment is 'bad in law'
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled out a fresh hearing of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s appeal against her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. A three-judge bench of the court said that there was no need for a fresh hearing as the Karnataka High Court, which was hearing the case, had already reserved its verdict on the matter. The bench also described the appointment of Special Public Prosecutor Bhavani Singh, a prosecutor who is allegedly well-known to Jayalalithaa, as being “bad in law”, and asked the High Court to not take note of Singh’s submissions when writing its judgement. The bench added that Tamil Nadu had no authority to appoint Singh as the public prosecutor in the case. Jayalalithaa and three others have been sentenced to four years in jail for gathering wealth disproportionate to their income during her tenure as chief minister between 1991 and 1996.
Bihar: State criticised for ‘sloppy attitude’ in relief
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday criticised the Bihar government for its “sloppy attitude” towards relief work in the state. Claiming that the state government had not sent in reports on the extent of damage caused by a tropical storm and aftershocks from the Nepal earthquake, Paswan said officials in various districts of the state had given him “vague answers” on the damage. “I do not know whether this sloppiness is due to lack of command over officers or bad intention of the state government,” Paswan said. The Central government would consider declaring the earthquake and the storm as national calamities only after Bihar had sent in its reports, he said.
Andhra Pradesh: SC dismisses plea on Chittoor probe
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the killing of 20 alleged red sandalwood smugglers in the Chittoor region of Andhra Pradesh on April 7. A bench of the court led by Chief Justice of India HL Dattu said that there was no need for a probe since the Hyderabad High Court and the National Human Rights Commission were already investigating the alleged encounter. The petition argued that the victims were labourers from Tamil Nadu and not sandalwood smugglers. The Andhra Pradesh police have claimed that six of its personnel were injured after they were attacked by the men. However, the victims’ relatives said that the 20 men were shot dead by the police in a fake encounter.
Maharashtra: Israel will help state build smart cities
The Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra and the Municipality of Israel’s capital Tel Aviv on Monday agreed to cooperate to build smart cities in the state. Fadnavis also held talks with Ron Huldai, the mayor of the Israeli capital, as the two sides agreed to explore the possibility of using Indian information technology capabilities to increase the efficiency of smart urban solutions. They also agreed to discuss challenges faced by modern cities, in a joint statement made on Monday. Fadnavis is on a four-day visit to Israel to attract investments to the state.
Delhi: Kejriwal undecided on pursuing defamation case
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday told the Delhi High Court that he had not yet decided whether to pursue a case against a trial court decision in a defamation case filed against him by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Kejriwal’s counsel told a two-judge bench of the court that the Aam Aadmi Party leader needed more time to make his decision as his previous advocate, Prashant Bhushan, was not representing him any longer. The court fixed the matter for further consideration on May 26. The trial court had remanded Kejriwal to judicial custody in May when he failed to furnish a bail bond in the case. Kejriwal had challenged the decision, saying that he should have been allowed to give a written undertaking instead.
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The Supreme Court on Monday ruled out a fresh hearing of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s appeal against her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. A three-judge bench of the court said that there was no need for a fresh hearing as the Karnataka High Court, which was hearing the case, had already reserved its verdict on the matter. The bench also described the appointment of Special Public Prosecutor Bhavani Singh, a prosecutor who is allegedly well-known to Jayalalithaa, as being “bad in law”, and asked the High Court to not take note of Singh’s submissions when writing its judgement. The bench added that Tamil Nadu had no authority to appoint Singh as the public prosecutor in the case. Jayalalithaa and three others have been sentenced to four years in jail for gathering wealth disproportionate to their income during her tenure as chief minister between 1991 and 1996.
Bihar: State criticised for ‘sloppy attitude’ in relief
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday criticised the Bihar government for its “sloppy attitude” towards relief work in the state. Claiming that the state government had not sent in reports on the extent of damage caused by a tropical storm and aftershocks from the Nepal earthquake, Paswan said officials in various districts of the state had given him “vague answers” on the damage. “I do not know whether this sloppiness is due to lack of command over officers or bad intention of the state government,” Paswan said. The Central government would consider declaring the earthquake and the storm as national calamities only after Bihar had sent in its reports, he said.
Andhra Pradesh: SC dismisses plea on Chittoor probe
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the killing of 20 alleged red sandalwood smugglers in the Chittoor region of Andhra Pradesh on April 7. A bench of the court led by Chief Justice of India HL Dattu said that there was no need for a probe since the Hyderabad High Court and the National Human Rights Commission were already investigating the alleged encounter. The petition argued that the victims were labourers from Tamil Nadu and not sandalwood smugglers. The Andhra Pradesh police have claimed that six of its personnel were injured after they were attacked by the men. However, the victims’ relatives said that the 20 men were shot dead by the police in a fake encounter.
Maharashtra: Israel will help state build smart cities
The Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra and the Municipality of Israel’s capital Tel Aviv on Monday agreed to cooperate to build smart cities in the state. Fadnavis also held talks with Ron Huldai, the mayor of the Israeli capital, as the two sides agreed to explore the possibility of using Indian information technology capabilities to increase the efficiency of smart urban solutions. They also agreed to discuss challenges faced by modern cities, in a joint statement made on Monday. Fadnavis is on a four-day visit to Israel to attract investments to the state.
Delhi: Kejriwal undecided on pursuing defamation case
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday told the Delhi High Court that he had not yet decided whether to pursue a case against a trial court decision in a defamation case filed against him by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Kejriwal’s counsel told a two-judge bench of the court that the Aam Aadmi Party leader needed more time to make his decision as his previous advocate, Prashant Bhushan, was not representing him any longer. The court fixed the matter for further consideration on May 26. The trial court had remanded Kejriwal to judicial custody in May when he failed to furnish a bail bond in the case. Kejriwal had challenged the decision, saying that he should have been allowed to give a written undertaking instead.
