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The Madras High Court has directed the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to lift the ban on the website of Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan, which was blocked on February 25 after publishing a political cartoon featuring Narendra Modi and Donald Trump.

However, the court asked the magazine to temporarily remove the cartoon before access is restored. The ministry had claimed the cartoon, which depicted Prime Minister Modi in shackles sitting beside United States President Trump, affected India’s sovereignty.

The court issued the order in response to a petition by Ananda Vikatan. Senior Advocate Vijay Narayan argued the cartoon did not violate constitutional free speech limits or the Information Technology Act, as claimed by the government. The Centre has been directed to file its response by March 21. Read on.

The Delhi High Court has sought former diplomat Lakshmi Puri’s response on a petition by Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale seeking the recall of a judgement asking him to pay compensation and apologise to her in a defamation case.

Puri had filed a defamation case against Gokhale after he, in June 2021, asked how she could have bought a house for 1.6 million Swiss Francs in Geneva in 2006 with her income as a former Indian Foreign Service officer. The Rajya Sabha MP had also sought an inquiry into the matter by the Enforcement Directorate.

On July 1, the High Court ordered him to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages to Puri and also publish an apology in the newspaper The Times of India and on the social media platform X within eight weeks. The bench said it would consider recalling the July verdict if Gokhale can convince the court about why he delayed filing his plea. More on Scroll.

The Bombay High Court has dismissed a habeas corpus plea by former Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze challenging his arrest in the Antilia bomb scare case. Waze was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in March 2021 for allegedly placing an explosives-laden vehicle near Mukesh Ambani’s residence.

The car, containing 20 gelatin sticks, was found on February 25, and its owner, Mansukh Hiren, was found dead on March 5. Waze argued his arrest was illegal due to procedural violations and the lack of government sanction, but the court ruled he was not acting in an official capacity. Waze was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The National Investigation Agency chargesheet in the case alleged that Waze was involved in a conspiracy to restore his reputation. In 2004, he had been suspended for 17 years after being arrested for the custodial death of 27-year-old software engineer Khwaja Yunus. Known as an “encounter specialist” in the Mumbai Police, Waze was granted bail after 58 days in custody. He was reinstated by the Mumbai Police in June 2020. Read on.

Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has sought an emergency stay on his extradition to India from the United States Supreme Court.

Rana, jailed in Los Angeles, argued that he would not survive long enough to stand trial due to severe health conditions, including an abdominal aortic aneurysm, Parkinson’s disease and suspected bladder cancer. He also claimed he would face torture in India, being a former Pakistani Army member and a Muslim.

The US Supreme Court had earlier rejected a review petition filed by Rana, paving the way for his extradition. Former US President Donald Trump called him “very evil” and said he would “face justice” in India. Rana, a Canadian businessman of Pakistani origins, is an alleged conspirator in the attacks that killed 166 persons. Read on.

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