The Calcutta High Court disposed of a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress seeking protection of confidential political data. The decision came after the Enforcement Directorate told the court that it had not seized any documents during its searches of the premises of the political consultancy firm, I-PAC, on January 8.

The central agency also claimed that any documents or electronic devices removed from the premises were taken away by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and not by the ED.

After the ED conducted searches at I-PAC’s offices in Kolkata and the residence of the firm’s head Pratik Jain, Banerjee had claimed that the central agency’s officials were “taking away” party documents ahead of the Assembly elections. The party had moved the High Court challenging the legality of the searches. On the other hand, the ED also approached the court, alleging “illegal interference” during its search operations. Read on.

India on Wednesday issued a fresh travel advisory urging its citizens to avoid travelling to Iran amid escalating anti-government protests. The country’s embassy in Tehran also asked Indian citizens in Iran to leave at the earliest.

There are approximately 10,000 Indians in Iran, including a large number of students. The advisory came amid widespread unrest in Iran over the past two weeks. Around 2,000 persons, including security personnel, have been killed during the protests, an Iranian official said. Read on.

Assamese singer Zubeen Garg was “severely intoxicated” and not wearing a life jacket when he drowned during a yacht trip in September, the Singapore Police told a coroner’s court. Assistant Superintendent of Police David Lim said Garg had refused to wear a life vest despite repeated reminders and swam away from the yacht before becoming motionless and floating face down.

Garg, a renowned Assamese singer, died on September 19 during a yacht trip in Singapore, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival there.

He was pulled back on board and given cardiopulmonary resuscitation before being taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy found 333 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in his system. Police said there was no evidence of suicide, duress or coercion. Read on.

A Muslim woman who was forced across India’s border to Bangladesh in December has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Gauhati High Court order that declined to hear her plea against a foreigners’ tribunal decision declaring her a foreigner. In September 2019, the tribunal held that Aheda Khatun failed to establish a link between herself and her Indian parents and grandparents.

Khatun has said the tribunal ignored documents including voter lists showing her parents as electors, her school certificate, a village permanent residency certificate and a registered land deed gifted by her father.

On December 17, she was among 15 persons expelled under the Immigrants Expulsion from Assam Act, 1950, and is currently in Bangladesh. Read on.

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