Laws & Justice for ALL in India

Salman to bail out 250 poor prisoners in UP

2012-01-21T03:17:00.000-08:00

Jan 15, 2012 - Amita Verma | Age Correspondent | Lucknow

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, in a rare gesture, has offered to bail out about 250 jail inmates in Uttar Pradesh who are languishing behind the bars because they cannot afford to pay the fine that the court has fixed for them.

Salman has offered to bail out the hapless prisoners through an NGO that recently approached the state officials with the offer.

Officials are now preparing to seek permission from the Election Commission before they get down to working out other modalities. According to a senior official, the total amount that the star will have to pay to ensure the release of about 250 prisoners is around `44 lakhs.

“Most of these prisoners are petty criminals and majority of them have completed their jail sentence but cannot be released because they have not paid the fine amount imposed by the court at the time of conviction. Their fine amount ranges from `2,000 to `10,000 and they have overstayed in the jail by two to five years because they could not afford to pay the amount,” the official said.

For instance, Rani Devi has completed her seven-year term in the women’s jail in Lucknow but has already spent an additional three years because she has been unable to pay the fine amount of `2,000.

In Gorakhpur jail, one inmate Rajiv Kumar Shah has not been able to pay the fine amount of `200 and has spent 15 days over his one-year term. The tentative number of such prisoners is about 38 in Bareilly, 28 in Moradabad, 26 in Varanasi, 23 in Sitapur, 18 in Gorakhpur and 17 in Naini central jail. Information from the other jails is still being compiled.

http://www.asianage.com/india/salman-bail-out-250-poor-prisoners-635

Help for ‘holiday wives’

2012-01-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Anju Agnihotri Chaba, Sun, Jan 01, 2012

Parneet Singh, the new passport officer at Jalandhar, the buckle of the NRI belt—Doaba—in Punjab, has brought a ray of hope for wives deserted by the NRI husbands. “Now my husband cannot go back to the US until our matrimonial case is decided by the court,” says Nandini Sharma of Amritsar, who was deserted by her US-based husband. Saravjit Kaur, who married a UK-based NRI in 2002 and was deserted in 2003, says, “He got married twice but couldn’t escape the passport office net.” The Jalandhar office has impounded passports of both the NRI husbands.

Like Nandini and Saravjit, thousands of deserted wives have found relief at the Women Grievance Section, which Singh set up in February this year at the passport office. When he joined in August 2010, he found an alarming number of women being deserted by NRI husbands who married them while holidaying in India and then left the country alone—never to call their wives abroad.

According to the National Commission for Women, out of 30,000 women deserted by NRI husbands, 15,000 belong to the Doaba region alone. And only 159 of such husbands have been booked in the past three years. Singh says he brainstormed for six months and realised that the existing laws were enough to tackle this problem; he decided to impound passports of the runaway husbands who were moving freely abroad. “I found that in Section 10 (3) of the Passport Act, 1967, the NRI grooms who have deserted their brides and fled from the country can escape no more. For perhaps the first time in the country, this section was used against offending grooms,” says Singh.

Till date, the Women Grievance Section has received 205 complaints. Passports of 62 accused have been impounded and among these, 19 were found to be proclaimed offenders.

Singh has also asked the state government to make it mandatory while registering a marriage to mention the NRI groom’s social security number, permanent address and contact number in the foreign country and submit an affidavit on the matrimonial status and a copy of the passport.

The affected women or their families can email their complaints to the Women Grievance Section at atrpo.jalandhar@mea.gov.in or call their helpline at 0-84274-71823. The passports of the accused are impounded either by the passport office here or the Indian missions abroad.

Parveen Bhatti says her husband had deserted her just after their wedding in 2008. On her complaint, the passport office impounded his passport—just a few hours before he was to fly out of the country, posing as single.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/help-for-holiday-wives/894258/0

His classroom is a jail

2012-01-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

Gopu Mohan, Sun, Jan 01, 2012

When one of his students passed class X, scoring over 50 per cent marks, Rajendran knew this was an idea that was going to stay. For, this was not an ordinary student. He was a prisoner, a man convicted for 12 serious crimes including murder. Sitting for and passing the examination, Rajendran believes, is a test of character.

Every Sunday morning, S Rajendran, an ardent follower of the father of Dravidian politics, Periyar, makes a trip to the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai. There, he interacts with the inmates, teaching them, guiding them and, some times, merely talking to them about world and life. The effort, he says, is to understand them and transform them one step at a time. “The basic idea of prison system is to reform the convicts, isn't it?” he asks. He himself is not well educated, having dropped out after completing class X three decades ago from a government school in Sendhurai in Ariyalur district. He has been a full-time activist ever since, traversing the state to take part in matters of public interest, attend and speak at meetings, and sometimes merely to travel.

After several years of work at the grassroots level, someone advised him to work for the welfare of prisoners. “We need to work with them, give them basic education so as to equip them to earn an honest living. They have to be taught skills including modern computing,” he says. Rajendran says it is not a one-man job, as he receives help and support from many, including prison authorities and in some cases, even the educated among prisoners.

This work by a team of committed people has begun to show results: last year, all students who took the exam for classes VIII, X and XII passed, a rare 100 per cent result that even the better-equipped schools outside find difficult to achieve. And the numbers only increased this year. This has encouraged prison authorities to spread the initiative to other prisons across the State, with positive results. For instance, B Raja, a life convict at Tiruchy Central Prison, scored an envious 902 out of 1,200 for class XII, results of which was announced in mid-2011. Many others scored a commendable first class in the same exam. Elsewhere, there were prisoners who are pursuing BA, MBA and MPhil, depending on their basic education background

“In all, 400 prisoners are preparing for various examinations and other educational activities including graduate and post graduate courses, diploma courses by IGNOU and Tamil Nadu Open Universities, computer courses like Tally, higher secondary, SSLC and the like in the Puzhal central jail alone. We are trying to take this initiative to all prisons in Tamil Nadu,” he says.

There are several illiterates among the inmates, who are given basic education to clear class VIII first and then classes X and XII. Even in the case of those who don't wish to pursue education further, Rajendran is happy that they are now able to write to their family members without having to seek anyone else’s support.

“There are several life convicts who are attending the classes. We are hoping that acquiring qualifications like these would perhaps help in securing an early release from prison. This encourages them to study, and studies would equip them to make an honest living once outside. When you teach a man to fish, it enables him to put a stop to the need to steal to make ends meet,” he says.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/his-classroom-is-a-jail/894266/0

Policing by SMS

2012-01-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

Ashwani Sharma, Sun, Jan 01, 2012

On December 16, Jairam Thakur, the state Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, found that someone had hacked into his Facebook account. Not wasting a moment, he sent an SMS to 9459100100—a dedicated, 24x7 SMS gateway service of the Himachal Pradesh police. “Somebody has hacked my Facebook account. Pls take legal action,” wrote Thakur. Within a few hours, the police were on the job and his complaint was lodged at the police station.

Thakur is just one of those thousands of mobile-phone users in the state, including tourists, whose SMSes have prompted instant action and even resulted in lodging of FIRs.

The biggest advantage of the SMS service is that a mobile phone user, whether a tourist or a local, doesn’t have to go to the thana. The SMS is received at the control room set up at Shimla, where a policeman forwards the information to the police station concerned, the SHO and the SP of the district. “The action begins instantly as all 100 police stations in Himachal Pradesh are online, and the staff is equipped with mobile phones, landline phones and also the wireless,” says Diljeet Singh, the state’s Director General of Police.

Till date, the police have registered 59 FIRs on the basis of SMSes in cases of threats, robbery, accidents caused by rash driving, obscene calls, etc. In fact, for complaints against crime against women, the police have found the service very useful as the identity of the complainant can be easily kept secret.

Senior officers, headed by the DGP and the additional DGP (law and Order), are monitoring the SMSes and action taken reports on daily basis.The officers are required to send the feed-back within 24 hours to the control room. The SMS facility supplements already offered services such as online FIRs and phone number 100 for police assistance. The SMS service is found particularly useful in offences that require swift action. High tele-density in Himachal Pradesh is another reason for the success of this service.

The elderly and women have turned out to be the biggest beneficiaries. The police get 14 to 20 messages every day, even in the night.

The service has become so popular that people are sending SMS complaints against overloading in buses, reckless driving, use of mobile phone by bus drivers, shortage of ration at PDS outlets in far-flung villages and snow-covered areas, encroachment on government land, drug abuse among children, traffic jams and even misbehaviour of policemen.

“The service helps us monitor the working of our own force. We get complaints about policemen smoking at public places, misbehaving or harassing the public, or not helping people,” says the DGP.

A girl from Killar in Pangi valley of Chamba district SMSed about an alleged rape attempt and the local police not lodging her complaint. Soon, a case was registered against the accused.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/policing-by-sms/894259/0

US looking at India for legal aid lessons

2011-12-22T22:28:00.000-08:00

Satya Prakash and Bhadra Sinha, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, December 07, 2011

The judiciary in the US is looking at India for tips on how to provide legal assistance to the poor on a shoestring budget. Although the slowdown-hit US economy is generating more civil cases of foreclosure, consumer credit and eviction, the litigants simply don’t have the money to pay for a lawyer.

And unlike in criminal cases, the US government is not mandated to provide legal aid in civil cases.

More than 90% litigants in civil cases go unrepresented in New York State alone with US authorities having slashed the legal budget by $170 million from $2.5 billion in 2010.

“We have come here to understand the access to the justice system and intend to replicate India’s best legal aid practices,” Justice Fern Fisher, deputy chief administrative judge and director of New York State access to justice program, told HT.

Justice Fisher and Fred P Rooney, director of the Community Legal Resource Network of the City University of New York School of Law (CUNY), have been scouting for legal aid programmes in India.

They were in Delhi after visiting Symbiosis Law School in Pune and a law college in Goa to study the involvement of law students in legal service programmes.

Justice Fisher said during her earlier visit 19 months ago, she learnt about the mobile justice system in Haryana.

“I had this idea, but didn’t know how to implement it. On learning about this system already working in India, I decided to launch it in New York,” she said.

The mobile system will work for those who can’t reach the court. “A trailer would have CUNY law students on board to assist senior citizens or the poor who can’t afford lawyers.”

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/US-looking-at-India-for-legal-aid-lessons/Article1-778826.aspx

Activist Khalra custodial death: SC upholds life in jail for Punjab cops

2011-11-26T08:16:00.000-08:00

Express news service, Sat, Nov 05, 2011, New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the sentence of life imprisonment to five Punjab Police officials including DSP Jaspal Singh in the custodial death case of Amritsar-based human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in 1995.

Jaswant Singh Khalra was a human rights activist and had been general secretary, Human Rights Wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal. He had been working on abduction and cremation of unclaimed/unidentified bodies during the disturbed period in Punjab, particularly in Amritsar and Taran Taran districts, a Bench led by Justice B S Chauhan quoted from CBI records.

“The police had been eliminating the young persons under the pretext of being militants and was disposing of their dead bodies without maintaining any record and without performing their last rites,” the court observed in its judgment on Friday.

Recounting the prosecution version, the judgment records that the police had hatched a conspiracy and abducted Khalra on September 6, 1995 from his residence, kept him in illegal detention, killed him and disposed his body in a canal.

Noting that “police atrocities are always violative of the constitutional mandate”, the judgment said “tolerance of police atrocities, as in the instant case, would amount to acceptance of systematic subversion and erosion of the rule of law”.

“We do not find any reason to interfere with the well reasoned judgment and order of the High Court. The facts of the case do not warrant review of the findings recorded by the courts below,” the Bench said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Activist-Khalra-custodial-death--SC-upholds-life-in-jail-for-Punjab-cops/871023/

J&K: Another ‘custodial death’, 4 cops suspended

2011-11-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

Express news service, Sat, Nov 05, 2011, Jammu:

The Jammu and Kashmir Police are in the dock once again over the death of a youth under mysterious circumstances a day after he was arrested on November 1.

The body of 25-year-old Vijay Kumar, a former private transport vehicle driver who had turned to farming, was found in the fields near his house in Gulbadechak on November 2. His family members alleged that he was killed in custody and dumped there.

Four policemen including incharge of the Gajansoo police station, ASI Om Parkash Sharma, have been suspended and attached with the District Police Lines at Jammu. An SPO, Ranjit Singh, has been disengaged from service.

A departmental inquiry has also been ordered into the matter. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu , Sanjeev Verma, has also ordered a magisterial inquiry. The probe will be conducted by Additional Deputy Commissioner Rohit Khajuria.

The police said Vijay was taken into custody on November 1 for a theft case and that he had fled the next morning. They claimed he had been arrested on charges of selling intoxicant capsules earlier too.

Vijay’s brother Kuldeep Raj, however, said that he was killed in police custody. He said on November 1, in the afternoon, Vijay was going to the fields where he along with his father had harvested the paddy crop. On the way, some policemen including SPO Ranjit Singh in a Gypsy stopped him.

Kuldeep alleged that Vijay was handcuffed and made to run along the police Gypsy for nearly a kilometre up to the Gajansoo Chowk, where the policemen beat him before before taking him to the nearby police post. The police, however, deny the charge.

Vijay’s mother Sushma Devi, 60, went to the police post where ASI Sharma told her that her son had been sent to Kanchak police station.

Vijay’s father Puran Chand, 65, said the next day a youth brought him a message from the Munshi at the police post to settle the case for Rs 2,000. According to him, he along with his cousin went to the police post where they were made to give their thumb impression on blank papers. The Munshi then asked them to bring back Vijay to the police post, saying he had fled earlier in the day.

The same evening, the family found Vijay’s dead body from the agricultural field near their house.

The next day when doctors were preparing to conduct postmortem, the police claimed to have seized intoxicant capsules from Vijay’s pocket, triggering protests from the villagers. Accusing the police of planting the capsules, the villagers held a demonstration outside the hospital. The authorities then suspended the policemen at Gajansoo post.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/j&k-another-custodial-death-4-cops-suspended/871020/0

Mirchpur: Life term to 3, five get 5 yrs in jail

2011-11-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Express news service, Tue, Nov 01, 2011, New Delhi:

A Delhi court today awarded life sentence to three persons for their role in the April 2010 killing of a 70-year-old Dalit and his physically-challenged daughter in Haryana’s Mirchpur.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Kamini Lau sentenced Kulwinder, Ramphal and Rajender to life under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The court sentenced five others to five years’ jail along with a fine of Rs 20,000 each. Baljeet, Karambir, Karampal, Dharambir and Bobal were convicted for rioting, causing hurt, and setting ablaze victims’ houses.

The court said the fine recovered from the convicts would be given to the victims as compensation.

Seven convicts were released on probation of good conduct for a year with supervision after furnishing of personal bonds of Rs 10,000 each. The court held that Sumit, Pradeep, Rajpal, Sunil, Rishi, Monu and Pradeep were first-time offenders and were not guilty under the SC/ST Act.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Mirchpur--Life-term-to-3--five-get-5-yrs-in-jail/868537/

95-yr-old gets life sentence for murder

2011-11-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, October 19, 2011

A 95-year-old woman was on Tuesday given life sentence by the Delhi High Court for burning to death her daughter-in-law and her seven-month-old grandson 15 years ago for dowry. The order comes 13 years after a trial court acquitted her. The high court held Sumitra guilty of committing the double murder in collusion with her elder son and daughter-in-law after setting aside the trial court’s 1998 order, acquitting the trio. The woman’s elder son and daughter-in-law, however, died early this year before the high court could conclude its hearing.

The high court convicted Sumitra, relying upon the dying declaration of the victim Meenu, who had told the sub-divisional magistrate the three had set her ablaze after dousing her with kerosene oil even as she held her child in her arms.

She said though her husband and her father-in-law never harassed her, her mother-in-law and her elder son and his wife used to harass her for dowry.

“Finding the dying declaration of Meenu to be inspiring utmost confidence, with no iota of doubt about her mental faculty, we unhesitatingly rely upon it to hold that the charge of murder stands proved beyond doubt against the respondent-accused, as she was instrumental in setting Meenu on fire,” the bench said, convicting the nonagenarian woman.

Pulling up the trial judge, the high court said “such an approach of the trial court is not only patently perverse but has also resulted in a grave miscarriage of justice”.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/95-yr-old-gets-life-sentence-for-murder/Article1-758917.aspx

Man, wife get life term for killing child

2011-11-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2011, SANA SHAKIL | NEW DELHI

A harmless argument between two five-year olds deteriorated into a fatal act of retribution with parents of one of the children being awarded life imprisonment, after the couple was proved guilty of murdering a little girl, by a city court. The couple, in a fit of rage after their tiny tots had a quarrel, set alight their jhuggi in Jahangirpuri area of the capital which led to the death of five-year old Tamanna. Tamanna’s parents and three other siblings escaped the fire with non-life threatening burns but Tamanna was consumed by the flames.

The root cause of the gruesome crime was a petty quarrel which had taken place between Aman (Tamanna’s brother) and Ravi and Kundan, sons of the convicted couple. On the fateful evening on February 8, 2009, after the children had an argument, Tamanna’s father Firangi sat with the quarelling children, gave them some counselling and put matters to rest. Ravi and Kundan’s mother Guddi, and her husband Kamal got annoyed with the situation and threatened Firangi with dire consequences. Threatening to burn down their jhuggi, Guddi told Firangi, “Ab toh tum bach gaye, jao aaj raat ko tumhein dekh loongi, tumhari jhuggi ko aag laga doongi.”

According to prosecution witnesses present at the spot, which included the neighbours, Guddi refused to heed to numerous suggestions to calm down and called the cops.

Relatives of the deceased told the cops that it was just a quarrel between the two children, after which the cops left.

Tamanna’s uncle Mukesh told the court that on February 9, 2009 when he went outside to answer nature’s call at around 4 am in the morning, he saw Kamal and Guddi standing outside their jhuggi with a bottle of kerosene in hand and sprinkling the same all over the jhuggi.

As Mukesh rushed to stop them from setting alight their home, Guddi immediately lit a match which engulfed the jhuggi and resulted in the death of the little girl.

Mukesh raised an alarm and with the help of the neighbours they tried to save all the family members, but unfortunately not Tamanna. They rushed her to BJRM Hospital, where the doctors declared her ‘brought dead’.

In the course of investigations, police recovered two two-litre bottles of kerosene in the jhuggi of the convicted couple with remnants of kerosene still present. Tarun Khurana, witness in the case, who was working in an MCD Park nearby said in his statement that he saw accused Kamal running out of the lane of the victim’s jhuggi. Furthermore, in his statement Tarun said that on that day he saw Kamal taking tea near A-1 Market, Jahangirpuri at 4.10 am.

After finishing his tea he got up and left and soon after there were flames coming from the A-1 jhuggis. While convicting the accused of murder charges, Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Dudeja said “I have no reason to disbelieve the testimony of Mukesh (Firangi’s brother) who has been able to prove that it was accused Kamal who had sprinkled kerosene on the jhuggi of Firangi and it was accused Guddi who had set the jhuggi on fire resulting in the death of a small child. I therefore hold both the accused guilty and convict them under Sections 302/436/34 IPC. Considering the totality of facts, the accused are sentenced with imprisonment and a fine of 5,000.”

http://www.dailypioneer.com/sunday-edition/others/townhall/7127-man-wife-get-life-term-for-killing-child.html

Youth lands in jail for stealing Rs 115 20-yr ago

2011-11-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2011, AMARNATH TEWARY | PATNA

It’s the perfect case of fact being stranger than fiction. A man from Buxar district of Bihar, who was caught picking pockets at the age of nine, was sent to jail after 20 years when he turned 29 last fortnight. He now needs Rs 5,000 as bail for allegedly stealing Rs 115 but is unable to do so as he is a marginal worker.

This amazing story of Shera Singh began in 1991, when he was caught picking pockets at Dumaron bus-stand in Bhojpur. He was nine years old at the time.

According to Buxar lawyer Shashi Kant Ojha, Shera was produced in chief judicial magistrate court in Ara in 1991 despite being a minor. Buxar was not a separate district at the time. The Ara court released the ‘delinquent’ Shera on bail but the case was not closed.

However, in 1994, Buxar was carved out as a new district and the court handling Shera’s case was shifted to the new district. For 16 years, Shera’s papers could not be traced.

There was no follow-up until 20 years later, the day he turned 29 years old and was sent to jail for a ‘crime’ he had forgotten all about.

A non-bailable warrant was issued against Shera and the police moved to attach his properties. The order came as a bolt from blue for Shera and he surrendered before the designated court to avoid confiscation of his properties. He was sent to jail and has been languishing there. He now requires Rs 5,000 for the bail bond, which appears a daunting task for him.

Shera appeared clueless about the incomprehensible example of justice meted out to him. Legal experts say the maximum sentence for his offence could be three years.

But whose fault is it after all? According to Ojha, “It happened because of his lawyer’s mistake and since there was no juvenile court in Ara at that time. Of course, the misplacement of court documents during shifting from Ara to Buxar, which kept his case hanging for such a long period of time, is also to be blamed.”

According to a recent report released by the Bihar social justice department, there are 16,000 juvenile cases pending in different courts of the State. Patna alone accounts for more than 1,500 cases till March 31. The cases remain pending despite Section 14 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, mandating disposal within four months of registration.

Department officials now only express optimism that the trial of juvenile cases would be fast-tracked in the districts following constitution of the proposed juvenile justice tribunal.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/pioneer-news/nation/7241-youth-lands-in-jail-for-stealing-rs-115-20-yr-ago.html

Constable gets 10 years jail for shooting civilian

2011-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Press Trust of India, New Delhi, October 09, 2011

A city policeman has been sentenced to ten years in jail for trying to kill a civilian by firing at him from his service revolver after having a tiff with him over a road mishap in 2004. “The convict being a constable of Delhi Police was a guardian of law who took law into his own hands and fired a shot at an innocent person in public place. Unless deterrent punishment is imposed on such an indisciplined person, it may provide impetus to indisciplined persons in disciplined forces", said district and additional sessions judge PS Teji while sentencing 43-year-old suspended police constable Vikram.

The court found Vikram, a constable with Delhi Police since 1988, guilty of attempting to kill motorcyclist Subhash by shooting him in the chest on September 16, 2004 near Mayur Vihar.

As per the prosecution, Subhash and his nephew Sunder were going on his motorcycle when a black Santro car, driven by Vikram hit their motorcycle.

This led to an altercation during which Vikram took out his service revolver and fired at Subhash.

Subhash was rushed to a hospital where he regained consciousness after a month.

In his defence, Vikram contended that he was on patrolling duty when he was hit by Subhash and his associates and Subhash accidentally sustained the gun shot injury when he tried to snatch his pistol. The court, however, rejected his theory of accidental fire.

“Accused happened to be a police officer who is supposed to be a trained person to carry and use the weapon in a manner that it could not fire until and unless it is need of hour. It is common knowledge that a revolver does not fire accidentally as it does not fire unless its trigger is pulled with power,” the court said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Constable-gets-10-years-jail-for-shooting-civilian/Article1-755382.aspx

12 get life in jail for 2009 Haryana honour killing

2011-09-30T05:49:00.000-07:00

Express news service, Fri, Sep 30, 2011, Chandigarh:

The Sessions Court in Jind on Thursday sentenced 12 people to life imprisonment in the Ved Pal honour killing case of 2009. Ved Pal was lynched by a mob that consisted of his in-laws and wife Sonia’s relatives. The court sentenced Sonia’s father and her relatives to life imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 6,500 on each of them.

Of the 14 accused, 12 were convicted on Saturday, while trial against Sonia’s mother Dhanpati is still on. Another accused, Pawanjit Bhanwala, president of the Bhanwala khap, was acquitted by the Sessions Court.

Dhanpati, who was earlier declared a proclaimed offender by the court, was arrested recently.

Besides Sonia’s father Dhanraj, Judge R N Bharti awarded life imprisonment to Shamsher, Mewa Singh, Randhir, Satpal, Ramdiya, Rammehar, Dharampal, Ramkumar, Ramjilal, Mahender Singh and Krishan.

Ved Pal, a resident of Mator village in Haryana, was working as a private medical practitioner at Singhwal village. He was running a small private clinic in front of Sonia’s house at Singhwal village, when he met her. Against their parents and village wishes, both decided to get married and on March 9, 2009 eloped from the village.

They got married at Arya Samaj in Chandigarh but the khap panchayat refused to acknowledge the marriage.

Fearing threat to their lives, both Ved Pal and Sonia approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court for protection. The court granted them protection, following which both started living in Chandigarh.

After a few days, Sonia’s family contacted her and assured her they shall acknowledge her marriage, provided she agrees to return to the village. She agreed to it and returned home. On July 22, 2009, Ved Pal, accompanied by a few policemen, reached Singhwal village to bring Sonia back. However, he was lynched by a mob comprising Sonia’s parents and relatives. Sonia’s father Dhanraj, relatives and members of the khap panchayat were soon arrested on charges of murder.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/12-get-life-in-jail-for-2009-Haryana-honour-killing/853775/

INLD MLA gets 2 years in prison for slapping lady constable

2011-09-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

Express news service, Fri, Sep 30, 2011, Chandigarh:

The judicial magistrate at Hansi in Hisar district on Thursday sentenced Saroj Mor, the lone sitting woman MLA of Indian National Lok Dal, to two years of imprisonment for slapping a Haryana police woman constable in 2009.

The court also convicted two others, including Saroj’s relative Ved Pal, an assistant sub-inspector in Haryana police, and another person Ajit, on charges of “voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from performing official duty”.

While Ved Pal is also sentenced to two years imprisonment, Ajit was sentenced to one month imprisonment.

Jude Satish Jhangra also released the trio on bail, giving them time to file an appeal. The verdict was announced on Thursday, almost two years after the case was registered on October 19, 2009, when during repolling of Assembly elections in Bass village in Hisar district, woman constable Veena Kumari was allegedly slapped and manhandled by Saroj, Ved Pal and Ajit.

A complaint was lodged against Saroj and others by Veena, on the basis of which a case was registered against the three.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/INLD-MLA-gets-2-years-in-prison-for-slapping-lady-constable/853772/

215 officials convicted in torture and mass rape case in tribal TN village

2011-09-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

Gopu Mohan, Fri, Sep 30, 2011, Chennai:

A trial court convicted 215 police, forest department and revenue officials for rioting, raping, assaulting and torturing tribals of a village in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri, nearly two decades after one of the worst cases of official brutality in India was reported.

The violence against the inhabitants of Vachathi village — abutting Sathyamangalam forest, which was then forest brigand Veerappan’s base — took place on June 20, 1992.

Tribal villagers had prevented forest guards from searching the hamlet for a sandalwood smuggler and allegedly assaulted them. That evening, a team of officials — 155 forest department personnel, 108 policemen and six revenue officials — entered the village. Men were assaulted, 18 women raped, the village was looted and destroyed.

Principal District and Sessions Judge S Kumaraguru awarded 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for atrocities against STs and seven years’ RI on charges of rape to 12 forest officials. The terms are to run concurrently. Five other officials facing rape charge were given seven years’ RI.

The 17 officials convicted for rape were arrested immediately. The rest were sentenced to jail terms of between one and three years.

Indian Forest Service officer K Harikrishnan, the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, was given three years’ imprisonment. He is one of the four convicted IFS officers.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/215-officials-convicted-in-torture-and-mass-rape-case-in-tribal-tn-village/853794/

Three get life for kidnapping Adobe CEO’s son

2011-09-30T05:40:00.000-07:00

Dipankar Ghose, Tue, Sep 27, 2011, Noida:

A Gautam Budh Nagar sessions court on Monday sentenced three persons to life imprisonment, besides fining them Rs 25,000 each, for the kidnapping of Anant Gupta, son of Adobe CEO Naresh Gupta, in 2006. Anant was three years old at the time.

Anant was kidnapped from the vicinity of his Noida Sector-15 house while he was waiting for the Lotus Valley school bus on November 14, 2006. On November 17, 2006, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested the accused and recovered Rs 50 lakh that had been paid as ransom. They were identified as Chatrapal and Jitender, both hailing from Bairana in Uttar Pradesh, and Pawan from Sekhda in Hardoi.

On Friday, sitting judge Navin Srivastava had let off four others in the case — Sunil, Bir Singh, Ramdayal and Birsingh’s wife Santosh — for lack of evidence. The three convicted persons have been held guilty under Section 364(A) (kidnapping for ransom) and Section 368 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code.

While sentencing the three convicts, the court — in a 46-page judgement — referred to a 2010 Supreme Court order that had adopted a stringent view of kidnapping for ransom. “Statistics reveal that kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative and thriving industry across the country, and it must be dealt with in the harshest possible manner. The obligation rests on courts as well,” the apex court had noted as it upheld the death sentence of two men for kidnapping and murdering Abhi Verma, a 16-year-old student of DAV School in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, in February 2005. Abhi, the son of a goldsmith, was abducted from outside his school on February 14, 2005, and killed after the kidnappers found that his father could not afford to pay Rs 50 lakh as ransom. He was his only son.

The court also took into consideration certain mitigating circumstances in handing out life imprisonment to the three accused. It noted that the three did not have a history sheet, and were very young when the crime was committed. While Chatrapal was 18 years of age in 2006, Pawan and Jitender were 19 and 20 years old respectively. It also took into consideration that Jitender had a family, including a five-year-old son, to support. The punishment prescribed under Section 364(A) is either the death penalty or life imprisonment with fine.

While members of the public prosecution team were satisfied with the verdict, defence lawyers said they would appeal against the judgement in the High Court. Vinod Kumar Solanki, Jitender’s lawyer, said, “Nothing is final yet and we will go to the court of appeal.”

The proceedings were attended by the family of the accused, but Anant’s family found no representation.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/three-get-life-for-kidnapping-adobe-ceos-son/852265/0

16-year-old beaten to death over a cup of tea near police station

2011-09-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

Shalini Narayan, Tue, Sep 27, 2011, New Delhi:

A 16-year-old boy was beaten to death, allegedly by the son of a tea stall owner, over a cup of tea near the Seelampur police station in Northeast Delhi on Sunday evening.

Arif (19) has been arrested based on a complaint filed by victim’s cousin.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Sanjay Jain, “Around 6.10 pm, we received a call that someone is lying unconscious near the Seelampur police station bus stand. A PCR van went to the spot and rushed the youth to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.”

Jain said a case of murder has been registered as the complainant said “the victim and the accused had a scuffle over tea, which turned violent, leading to the victim’s death”.

The victim has been identified as Manju, who ran an artificial jewellery kiosk near the rear gate of the Seelampur police station with his cousin Fauji.

According to the FIR, Manju had gone to buy a cup of tea for himself from a tea stall, which is at a distance of a few metres from the police station. On way he met Arif who was carrying tea to be delivered elsewhere.

“Manju asked him to give him tea, but Arif said he was taking it elsewhere. Manju abused Arif and said he would pay him for the tea. A scuffle ensued, during which Arif held Manju’s collar and slapped and punched him a few times. Manju fell to the ground,” states the FIR.

Fauji, however, claimed that police did not record his entire complaint. “Since we sit outside the police station, the officers usually ask us to get them tea from stall, which belongs to one Shariq. This time too Manju was sent to get four cups of tea. When Manju delivered the tea, they only paid for three, saying they didn’t require the fourth cup. Manju then collected the money and went back to the tea stall. He told Shariq that he had been paid only for three cups. This angered Shariq, whose son then picked up a fight with my cousin and beat him to death,” Fauji said.

Eyewitnesses said Manju was beaten to death near the rear gate of the police station.

“I saw the two boys fighting outside the police station gate, but I didn’t pay too much attention since such fights are common. It was only later that I found out that the child had succumbed to injuries,” said a jewellery shopowner who sits near Manju’s kiosk.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/16yearold-beaten-to-death-over-a-cup-of-tea-near-police-station/852290/0

Man arrested with Shahtoosh shawls worth Rs 25 lakh at IGI airport

2011-09-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

Express News Service, Fri, Sep 30, 2011, New Delhi:

In the second wildlife seizure within a period of one month, a passenger alighting at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport was arrested by the Customs department on Thursday for illegally smuggling Shahtoosh shawls worth Rs 25 lakh into the country from Almaty in Kazakhstan.

The passenger, Srinagar resident Tasaduq Hussain Joo, arrived from Almaty by flight KC-907 on Wednesday. “Suspecting that something was amiss, officials diverted him from the green channel for a detailed examination. His baggage contained four Shahtoosh shawls, which were later identified and certified by a wildlife inspector. Apart from the Shatoosh Shawls, the passenger was also carrying nine Pashmina Shawls,” a senior Customs’ official said.

“The international market price of the four Shahtoosh Shawls has been valued at Rs 25 lakh. Pashmina shawls are available for Rs 50,000 per shawl in the market,” the official said.

The total value of the seized goods was Rs 24.9 lakh. This is the second such seizure by IGI Customs officials this year, both of which occurred within a period of one month. On September 13, a similar case was registered against Srinagar resident Mudasir Gulam Ahmed Mugloo, and 25 Shahtoosh shawls were recovered from his possession. The value of the 25 Shahtoosh shawls was Rs 1.53 crore.

“These four Shahtoosh shawls (brought in by Joo) were seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, on the reasonable belief that the same were smuggled into India and were prohibited goods. Therefore, they are liable to be confiscated under the Custom Act, 1962, read with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), of which India is a signatory.

The remaining nine shawls,valued at Rs 90,000, were being used to conceal the four Shahtoosh shawls. They were also seized under the Customs Act, 1962. The passenger has been placed under arrest,” Customs’ Commissioner V K Goel said.

Shahtoosh shawls are woven from the hair of the Tibetan antelope (Chiru), mostly by Kashmiri weavers. As the shawls are in great demand, the antelopes are hunted down — pushing them to the brink of extinction.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/man-arrested-with-shahtoosh-shawls-worth-rs-25-lakh-at-igi-airport/853770/0

Man fined Rs 1 lakh for wasting court’s time in squabble with ex-wife

2011-09-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

Utkarsh Anand, Fri, Sep 30, 2011, New Delhi:

When a divorced couple embroiled for in several litigations decided to backtrack from allegations made against each other in a court, they never imagined it would cost heavily.

The Delhi High Court noted that they must be burdened with a penalty for wasting the judiciary’s time and also for involving government machinery, including the police, into their family discord. Justice Suresh Kait imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioner while allowing an FIR to be quashed.

The court also decided to use the money in a generous way and asked for handing over the fine amount to a government school for visually challenged children.

Justice Kait said this money should be paid by the petitioners in favour of the Delhi Child Welfare Fund, at Child Protection Unit of the Department of Women and Child Development.

“I further direct the Department of Women and Child Development to disburse this money to the principal, Senior Secondary School for Blind Boys, Sewa Kutir at Kingsway Camp. Needless to state the principal shall utilise the said amount for the welfare of the visually challenged boys,” ordered Justice Kait.

The court was prompted to pass the order after the couple, who got a divorce decree in November last year following a settlement, sought the judge to quash an FIR lodged by the woman against her former husband when both of them were involved in a terrible scrap.

The trial of the FIR registered by the woman against her ex-husband at DLF police station in Gurgaon, under the charges of cheating, forgery and breach of trust was transferred to Delhi on a Supreme Court order. The case was being heard at the city’s Patiala House court and the charges had also been framed against the man.

However, the couple arrived at a settlement and signed a divorce deed based on mutual consent.

They subsequently moved the High Court and sought quashing of the impugned FIR. The woman also stood by the side of her ex-husband and told the court that they had amicable settled all their disputes.

Public Prosecutor Ritu Gauba, however, submitted before the court that since the government machinery has been pressed into this matter and also the precious time of the courts has been consumed, a cost must be imposed on the petitioner while quashing the FIR.

Justice Kait agreed and asked the man to pay the damages. The judge let off the woman after observing that she was a housewife and had no independent source of earning.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/man-fined-rs-1-lakh-for-wasting-courts-time-in-squabble-with-exwife/853758/0

Woman gets son killed, 2 contract killers arrested

2011-09-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

Express News Service, Fri, Sep 02, 2011, New Delhi:

20-year-old Manjeet objected to his mother’s extra-marital affairs
Police on Thursday arrested a woman from Jharoda for allegedly hiring contract killers to murder her 20-year-old son who scolded her for having extra-marital affairs. The two contract killers were arrested on Monday.

The accused, identified as Rajesh alias Lalli (45) was arrested from her Baba Hari Dass Nagar residence in South-West Delhi’s Jharoda area. According to police, she hired Umesh alias Michal (32) and Mahender alias Monu (22) to kill her son, Manjeet.

“The two contract killers had looted a jeweller’s shop at gun-point in Chhawla and were arrested on Monday from Jharoda. During interrogation, they confessed that they had killed Manjeet in Punjab’s Sangrur district after his mother, Lalli hired them for the murder,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West), Anil Kumar Ojha.

The duo reportedly told police that Lalli, a resident of Jharoda, had contacted Monu in January this year and complained about her son, Manjeet¿s misbehavior with her.

“Monu said Lalli had extra marital affairs and some persons used to visit her house during the absence of Manjeet and her husband. When Manjeet came to know about these, he scolded his mother and warned her to refrain from such activities. Irritated with her son’s behaviour, she hired Monu for Rs 2 lakh to eliminate her son,” Ojha added.

Monu reportedly conspired with his friend, Michal, to commit the crime. Police said both of them knew Manjeet well and had liquor together.

On January 29, Monu asked the deceased to accompany the duo to Punjab on pretext of meeting a girl. They boarded a Punjab-bound train from Bahadurgarh and reached Lehra, a small town in Sangrur district in the evening.

“The three drank together. When Manjeet got highly intoxicated, the arrested accused men took him to an isolated place and assaulted him with bricks and knife. They also smashed his face with stones to conceal his identity,” Ojha said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/woman-gets-son-killed-2-contract-killers-arrested/840476/0

Class 5 girl raped, tortured for 1 year

2011-09-27T01:45:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Greater Noida, September 26, 2011

About three weeks after an eight-year-old girl was found to have been raped and tortured in four months of captivity in Noida, an even more shocking case has stunned residents and exposed policing in the district.

The Greater Noida police on Sunday arrested three persons on charges of

raping and torturing a minor girl for a year. The police are yet to nab one more accused, a woman, who is at large.

The girl, eight months’ pregnant, has been rescued with several injury marks from Bulandshahr.

About a year ago, two persons had allegedly kidnapped the girl, then 13, from her village. “The police lodged a case after much reluctance, but did not take an action,” the victim’s father said. “Earlier, the police even gave a clean chit to the accused and closed the case,” he added.

“The girl, daughter of a security guard in Mubarakpur village of Greater Noida, is a class 5 student. She has been medically examined and her statement has been recorded,” said a police official.

The victim has said she was gang-raped at several places. “I was not given food for many days. They caned me and burnt me with cigarette butts. I tried to escape many times, but was caught and tortured even more,” she said in a statement.

“A few days ago, I learnt that my daughter was in Bulandshahr. I sought police help and rescued her,” her father said.

“Two persons kidnapped her from the village and raped her. After a few days, they handed her to a woman in Dadri. She further handed her to a person in Bulandshahr. Only the woman has not been arrested,” said a police officer.

Earlier this month, an eight-year-old girl was recovered in Noida with her limbs broken, tongue chopped off and body burnt with cigarette butts.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Class-5-girl-raped-tortured-for-1-year/Article1-750499.aspx

Boy killed for refusing to pay vendor for cup of tea

2011-09-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, September 26, 2011

An argument over a cup of tea cost a 16-year-old boy his life in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur on Sunday evening. The boy was beaten up badly and later strangled to death allegedly by a tea vendor. The family members of the deceased have claimed that the incident took place inside the premises of the Seelampur police station and in the presence of police personnel.

Sanjay Kumar Jain, deputy commissioner of police (northeast), however, refuted the allegations. “The allegations are baseless. Even the person who made the PCR call said that the incident took place on the main road near the bus stand. We have registered a case of murder and arrested the tea vendor.”

The victim, Manju, used to sell artificial jewellery outside the Seelampur police station. On the particular day, policemen at the station asked Manju to get three cups of tea from a shop nearby. The boy got an extra cup and later when he went to return it, the vendor, Aarif, refused to take it.

He asked Manju to pay for the extra cup from his own pocket. Manju refused and this made Aarif furious. Eyewitnesses told the police that Aarif started thrashing Manju and later also strangled him.

Manju collapsed on the road and was immediately rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Boy-killed-for-refusing-to-pay-vendor-for-cup-of-tea/Article1-750514.aspx

Security men turn tormentors

2011-09-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi, Bhopal, September 24, 2011

A blind man was beaten to death in Railway Protection Force (RPF) custody and police brutally assaulted a mentally challenged man in public in separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.

At Harda, 160 km south of Bhopal, Kripa Ram, a blind vendor of books and eatables on trains, was allegedly beaten to death at the RPF police station.

According to sources, RPF constable AK Chatterjee had an argument with Ram, 40, and roughed him up. Ram retaliated and bit Chatterjee, who dragged him away to the police station where he was beaten. Later, Ram succumbed to injuries.

Deputy superintendent of police (Railways) Irmeen Shah said Chatterjee was booked for murder and arrested.

The assault on the mentally challenged man, Ram Krishna Agarwal, 35, occurred in Satna, around 380 km east of the state capital.

Video of mentally challenged man, Ram Krishna Agarwal being beaten up by Police in Satna: http://youtu.be/i_ftcR6ZLYU

Agarwal was thrashed with batons, tied up and dragged by policemen led by inspector BS Jaggi for allegedly carrying a sickle, which had led local traders to complain to the police. The traders feared Agarwal could attack someone.

Inspector general of police (Law and Order) Ashok Kumar Soni said Jaggi was suspended on Friday. "An inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the circumstances in which the incident occurred," Soni said.

The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission has sought the suspension of all the police officials involved in the assault on Agarwal.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Securitymen-turn-tormentors/Article1-749465.aspx

Two held in Gurgaon toll attendant murder case

2011-09-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Agencies, Mon, Sep 26, 2011, Gurgaon

Three days after a young toll plaza attendant was shot dead over payment of toll fee, police have arrested two persons in connection with the murder.

Gurgaon Police Commissioner SS Deswal said Vijay Veer, a resident of village Kho near the toll plaza had fired at 22-year-old Umesh Kumar Pandey from point-blank range after an argument over paying Rs 27 as toll fee.

Vijay Veer was drunk at the time of committing the crime, Deswal said.

The second arrested person has been identified as Vijay's friend Manjeet.

Vijay had sent Manjeet to the crime spot soon after the incident to find out if the toll collector had died or was injured.

Police have also seized Vijay's Bolero vehicle.

Pandey was shot dead on September 23 when he asked for the toll fee from the Bolero owner at Kheri Daula.

The car owners refused to pay and insisted that they be allowed to go. When Umesh insisted on the payment, an occupant in the car owner took out a revolver and fired at him from point blank range.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/two-held-in-gurgaon-toll-attendant-murder-case/851882/

Constable held for shooting trader, robbery

2011-09-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Sumegha Gulati, Mon, Sep 26, 2011, New Delhi:

A day after a 60-year-old dry fruits trader was shot dead and a mobile phone store owner injured in Lahori Gate area, police on Sunday identified the assailant as a head constable of the Delhi Police.

According to police, Head Constable Ajay Tomar fired three rounds at businessman Amarjeet Singh Chaddha in an attempt to rob him of his gold chains and cash on Saturday around 9 pm. He then tried to flee, but fractured his right leg as he jumped off a railway bridge to evade arrest. Tomar is recuperating at Hindu Rao Hospital.

The mobile phone shopkeeper, Harinder Singh alias Sunny (24), who suffered a bullet injury in his neck while he was helping a policeman chase Tomar, is admitted at St Stephen’s Hospital.

Police have recovered two pistols and a motorcycle from Tomar.

According to police, Chaddha was returning home, with his employee Mohit, after closing his shop when Tomar stopped the Alto car they were travelling in.

“Tomar stopped his UP-registered bike in front of them and fired at Chaddha. The accused is from 1995 cadre and 7th battalion. We are checking his records for any previous criminal involvements,” said I B Rani, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).

Police said Chaddha ran ‘Kabul Dryfruit Store’ in Khari Baoli, Chandni Chowk. His younger brother, Balbir, said Chaddha was very fond of jewellery and was wearing 7 to 8 gold chains at the time of the incident.

“Amarjeet was know as ‘Sardarji chainwale’ in Chandni Chowk area. He used to buy a new gold chain every Diwali,” he said.

Chaddha’s brother-in-law, Gurdeep Singh Lamba, said , “Amarjeet was carrying that day’s sales, around Rs 80,000.” Chaddha received bullet injuries in the stomach and was taken to Tirath Ram Hospital. He succumbed to injuries around 10.15 pm.

Police said Tomar fired a fourth shot when he was being chased by a policeman and Sunny.

“Tomar did not use his service weapon in committing the crime. He used an illegal 0.32 bore weapon,” a police officer said.

Balbir said Chaddha had called him after the shooting. “He said ‘come to the hospital fast’. I still remember his voice,” he said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/constable-held-for-shooting-trader-robbery/851689/0

Man jailed for two years, fined for bounced cheque

2011-09-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

Agencies, Mon, Sep 26, 2011, Bijnor:

A man was sentenced to two years imprisonment and a fine of Rs one lakh was imposed on him by a local court in Bijnor in a dishonoured cheque case.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Manisha held Rishi Pal guilty on Saturday after a case was filed by Pitambar Singh, Managing Director of Pantjan Sadbhavna Finance and Investment Company Private Limited, prosecution sources said here.

Singh had filed the suit against Pal, who had taken a loan of Rs 62,000 from his company to purchase a jeep for his son, they said.

The cheque of the amount of Rs 91,635 which Pal later issued to the company was dishonoured by the bank on account of insufficient funds, they said.

Pal was asked by the court that the fine of Rs 1 lakh be paid to the plaintiff as compensation, failing which the accused would have to serve an additional term of two months in jail.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/man-jailed-for-two-years-fined-for-bounced-cheque/851930/

Pay widow of victim 1 lakh each to get bail, judge tells 5 accused

2011-09-26T05:27:00.000-07:00

Sumegha Gulati, Sat, Sep 17, 2011, New Delhi:

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Madhu Jain has directed five accused to pay a compensation amount of Rs 1 lakh each to the widow and son of a murdered person in order to secure release on bail.

Jain, ASJ at the Tis Hazari court, on Wednesday granted bail to the five accused — Manoj Kumar, Pankaj Jain, Tarun Ahuja, Manoj Ahuja and Harish Bhasin — for the murder of one Narender Kumar, but directed that they pay Rs 1 lakh each as compensation to Kumar’s wife Shanti Devi (55) and son Shiva (21), as a precondition.

“Five lakh rupees is a big amount. Hamare dil se judge ke liye sirf dua hi nikalti hai. Unhone ek gareeb vidhwa aur uske bete ki madad ki hai (We are grateful to the judge, she has helped a poor widow and her son). But we do not want to discuss this issue,” Shanti said.

Shanti, who lives with Shiva in a one-room house in Gali Kandle Kasan, Chandni Chowk, said that her life changed completely after Kumar was murdered in April this year. “Life became tough but thankfully, my three daughters were married by then. Shiva works as a stock boy at a saree shop in Nai Sadak,” she said.

According to police, the accused — all businessmen by profession — allegedly beat Kumar to death on April 21. “The five suspected that Kumar had burnt down Ahuja’s Kinari Bazar shop where he worked,” a police officer told Newsline.

According to Shiva, all his efforts to save his father went in vain. Even as he was being assaulted by the accused, Kumar collapsed. He was taken to Lok Nayak Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Police registered a case against the accused.

According to police, investigations revealed that it was Kumar who had set Ahuja’s shop on fire on April 13.

“The CCTV footage acquired from the scene clearly shows Kumar lighting the matchstick and throwing it on highly inflammable material. The accused have admitted to assaulting Kumar,” the officer said.

The court has charged the accused with culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the IPC.

“The death of the victim was without any preplanning or premeditation on the part of the accused persons. It was the victim who set the godown of Tarun Ahuja on fire. No weapon of offence was used, and death occurred due to cerebral damage... not related to the assault,” the court said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pay-widow-of-victim-1-lakh-each-to-get-bail-judge-tells-5-accused/847774/0

Arrested: Rockman Beer Island’s owner in Rs 13.5 crore case

2011-09-26T05:24:00.000-07:00

Sumit Saxena, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, September 23, 2011

The Delhi police have arrested the owner of Delhi- NCR’s first in-house beer manufacturing restaurant and bar in a multi-crore cheating and forgery case. The Economics Offences Wing (EoW) in March 2010 had lodged a criminal case against Chandra Shekhar Aggarwal, who owns Rockman Beer Island in Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. According to the complaint, Aggarwal had duped a Delhi-based real estate owner of Rs 13.5 crore in 2008. According to the police, Aggarwal had mortgaged his house in Hauz Khas Enclave against a loan of Rs 13.5 crore. Later, it was found out that he had already sold this house to one woman for Rs 9 crore.

Gaurav Liberhan, counsel for the realtor, said, “Aggarwal forged signatures to show that the loan of R13.5 crore stood cancelled and he had nothing to pay back.” The forensics report established that the signatures were forged on the document.

The Delhi police arrested Aggarwal on September 14. Seeking his custodial interrogation, the police told the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Pandit that the accused had furnished a document alleged to be a loan termination agreement.

Counsel for Aggarwal contested the police custody stating that it is a civil dispute, which has been given colour of criminal offence, and therefore, there is no requirement of interrogation. The court has rubbished Aggarwal’s counsel’s plea raising contention about the legality of his arrest.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/Arrested-Rockman-Beer-Island-s-owner-in-Rs-13-5-crore-case/Article1-749405.aspx

Lecturer’s murder: Life sentence for 2 accused

2011-09-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Ghaziabad, September 23, 2011

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge, on Friday, sentenced two people to life imprisonment and announced a three-year imprisonment for another accused in the murder of Kavita Rani, a lecturer with Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut.

The CBI special judge, AK Singh, sentenced accused Ravinder Singh and Sultan Singh to life imprisonment and announced a three-year imprisonment for Yogesh Kumar. Ravinder Pradhan, the prime accused in the case, had died under mysterious circumstances inside Dasna Jail in May 2008 during the case trial.

Besides, the court also ordered that Dr Mairajuddin Ahmed, the then irrigation minister in UP government, be tried for perjury (under Section 340 of CrPC) as he had retracted his earlier statement during his deposition in the court.

The court on Friday also gave a month’s time to the CBI to submit all the case-related documents with the court in relation to a CrPC 173(8) closure report filed by the investigating agency in May 2011.

Although, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against Pradhan and his accomplices in March 2007, it continued its investigations, suspecting a “larger conspiracy” related to the lecturer’s murder. The court, on Friday, refused to accept CBI’s closure report related to further investigations and registered it as a document in its records.

Rani had disappeared in October 2006 and a case was filed with the UP Police, which was later transferred to the CBI in January 2007. In its chargesheet filed in March 2007, the CBI had stated that Pradhan became friendly with Rani and introduced her to several UP politicians and educationists, including RP Singh, Ahmed, Babu Lal and Kiran Pal Singh.

The CBI investigations also revealed that in April 2006, Pradhan persuaded Rani to video record her intimate moments with senior educationists and political leaders in order to make quick money.

The chargesheet said that Pradhan and his accomplices blackmailed and extorted Rs 35 lakh from Ahmed and gave only Rs 4 lakh to Rani. This soured their relationship and led Pradhan and his accomplices murder Rani inside a car. The body was later thrown into a canal.

However, CBI did not chargesheet any of the ministers or the educationists and submitted a police closure report .

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Lecturer-s-murder-Life-sentence-for-2-accused/Article1-749412.aspx

6,000 complaints lodged against cops every year

2011-09-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

Faizan Haider, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, September 25, 2011

The Saturday night incident, in which a Delhi Police constable robbed and murdered a man, is not the lone case of a cop turning into an extortionist. While complaints of bribe and extortion are comman, Delhi Police personnel are now getting involved in murder and robbery too.

After Saturday’s incident —which is the second such incident in a week — the image of the Delhi Police has once again taken a hit.

“It is obviously a dent on the image of force as we are here to protect citizens. All good work done by us will now go in vain as people will remember only this incident,”a senior police officer who didn’t want to be named said, adding, “It is very difficult to keep a track of every individual.”

On an average, the Delhi Police receives over 6,000 complaints every year against their own men. In 2008, 103 Delhi Police personnel were punished and the number went down to 74 in 2009. But in 2010, a total of 1303 Delhi Police personnel of various ranks were awarded punishment after complaints were filed against them.

This year only around 50 Delhi Police personnel have been caught taking bribes while over 1,800 faced action for dereliction of duty. Of the around 50 caught for taking bribes, 25 were constables and nine head constables. Six sub inspectors and seven assistant sub inspectors were also caught taking bribe from people to favour them.

“A total of 1,849 policemen, including 147 inspectors, faced action for dereliction of duty till June 30 this year,” the officer added. The first six month’s figure has already surpassed the figures of 2008 and 2009 when action was taken against 987 and 1,813 cops respectively.

“It is not fair to built the image of force of 85,000 by the conduct of one man. We have arrested the accused constable and action will be taken against him,” Sudhir Yadav, joint commissioner of police (northern range).

http://www.hindustantimes.com/6-000-complaints-lodged-against-cops-every-year/Article1-750173.aspx

Delhi Police constable held for extortion

2011-09-26T05:14:00.000-07:00

Express news service, Tue, Sep 13, 2011, New Delhi

A constable has been arrested for allegedly extorting money from the manager of a five-star hotel on September 6. The accused, Valeem Javed, is also accused of extorting money from couples at Nehru Park on a regular basis.

Police said though Javed was posted at the New Ashok Nagar police station in East Delhi, he used to commute 15 km on his motorcycle everyday to Chanakyapuri to extort money from couples at the park. On the day the hotel manager lodged the complaint, Javed had decided to venture out on his bike for more money. He was nabbed by the district police after a half-kilometre chase.

Police said on September 6, the manager of a five star hotel approached the Chanakyapuri police station, alleging that a man in uniform had extorted money from him.

“The complainant told us that he was waiting for a friend at the Nehru Park parking on Niti Marg when the constable approached him. When he took out his wallet to show his identity card, the constable snatched it and said he would falsely implicate him in a case,” a senior officer said.

Before the complainant could react, the constable had pulled out Rs 2,000 from the wallet and fled. Soon, a complaint was lodged, and a case was registered under Section 384 of the IPC.

According to the officer, a team was sent to Nehru Park. Though Javed attempted to escape when he saw them, the team managed to arrest him.

Javed, a resident of Brijpuri, had joined the force in 2006.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/delhi-police-constable-held-for-extortion/845820/0

Three awarded 10 years’ RI for gangraping 19-yr-old

2011-09-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

Press Trust of India, Mon, Sep 12, 2011, New Delhi:

Three youths have been sentenced to ten years’ rigorous imprisonment by a Delhi court for gangraping a 19-year-old girl at knife point.

District Judge P S Teji passed the sentence on East Delhi residents Nesar (20), Sunny (22) and Mukesh (20) after convicting them for raping the girl in a slum while she was on her way home from work. “In view of the facts and circumstances of the case, all the convicts are hereby awarded rigorous imprisonment for a period of 10 years, and a fine of Rs 5,000 each for the offence punishable under Section 376(2)(g) of the IPC (punishment for gang rape),” the judge said.

Police had lodged the FIR in the case on October 25, 2009.

The victim, a domestic help, had told police that on the night of October 24, 2009, she was returning to her residence in Kalyanpuri jhuggi around 9 pm when she was accosted by the trio, who were known to her. She said they dragged her into a nearby hut and raped her at knifepoint.

During the trial, the accused said they were being falsely implicated, and the victim was only “taking revenge” on account of a fight they had with one of her friends.

The judge, however, preferred to believe the victim’s version, stating that in Indian society, “no girl would make such allegations as she is aware of the repercussions”.

“If her allegation is found to be false, she would be looked at with contempt by the society throughout her life. For an unmarried girl, it will be difficult to find a suitable groom. Therefore, unless an offence has really been committed, the girl or woman would be extremely reluctant even to say such a thing, which is likely to reflect on her chastity,” the judge said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/three-awarded-10-years-ri-for-gangraping-19/845142/

Price of saving a life: 21 months in jail

2011-09-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

Javed Iqbal | Monday, September 19, 2011

‘It is correct that... Kopa Kunjam tried to save me from the Naxalites,’ said Jhadi Nagesh in the sessions court of Bijapur, Bastar.

Maoists kidnapped two men on June 2, 2009. One, Punem Hoonga, was killed the other, Jhadi Nagesh, was released. On December 10, Kunjam was arrested for the murder of Hoonga, who the Maoists killed. Nagesh, the man who was released unharmed by the Maoists, testified in court that Kopa tried to save him.

So why was man who tried to save their lives from Maoists arrested for murder on December 10, 2009? Why was he arrested when the first information report regarding the incident never mentioned him as an accused? Why was he arrested when every villager in the Basaguda area attests that he is innocent and that he spent sleepless nights ensuring that those kidnapped were released unharmed?
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The high court rejected Kunjam’s bail even when one of the prime witnesses, Nagesh, claimed he tried to save his life. Why?
Kunjam’s story cannot be told without the story of the villages of Samsetti, Singaram, Matwada, Gompad, Gacchanpalli, and the Basaguda block area, and the work he did with Gandhian NGO Vanvasi Chetna Ashram.

Kunjam took four adivasi women of Samsetti, who were gang-raped by special police officers, to court and they had even managed to procure warrants for the arrests of the accused.

When 19 adivasis were killed in Singaram, the first affidavits and testimonies contradicting the state version were collected by Kunjam and his associate Lingoo, who also helped the victims to approach the high court.

In the Matwada Salwa Judum camp, the police killed three men. Their faces were smashed in by rocks by drunk policemen. Kopa motivated the wives of the deceased to fight for justice, and for once, managed to procure a high court order, asking for compensation for them, which itself is an anomaly for victims of state violence.

With the onset of Operation Green Hunt, the villages of Gompad and Gacchanpalli were attacked and children and elders were killed by the Cobra forces. Kunjam was part of the initial fact-finding team that helped to ascertain what really happened — children were killed, as were grandfathers and grandmothers, while the police kept giving press conferences about killing ‘armed cadre’ in ‘fierce encounters.’

Then there is Basaguda Block, also the scene of Hoonga’s murder. Basaguda block was empty by the beginning of 2009. All the villages of the area were deserted after the Salwa Judum burnt them down, or the Maoists killed, and the SPOs would beat the same victims of Maoist violence, for not moving into the camps.

A majority of the residents who were landowners had migrated to Andhra Pradesh where they lived as landless labour.
In the summer of 2009, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s orders ensuring that people were allowed to return to their homes, Kunjam was an integral part of ensuring that there were no untoward incidents of violence by either the Salwa Judum or the Maoists, and that people were allowed to resettle in their homes and rebuild their lives.

For instance, when Maoists first saw the people returning to their homes, they dug up a road. But these were not hardcore Maoists, they were villagers first, and they felt they had to protect their homes from being burnt down again as it had happened in 2006 when the Salwa Judum held a mass rally in their area.

Kopa knew that. And he had his way of adding humour to tell you the truth. For instance, how the Maoists had given some of the adivasis of the ‘interiors’, ‘pressure bombs’ or landmines to strategically plant to stop the police movement, but the adivasis put them to better use by hunting wild pigs with them.

But while the settlements began to thrive, Kopa failed to completely stop the violence. The Maoists weren’t reasonable. Hoonga, who was closely linked to the Salwa Judum was executed, as was an SPO Suresh a few weeks earlier.

A few months later, the Superintendent of Police, along with Lingoo, once Kunjam’s associate of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, had asked him to leave the organisation, and human rights work, and work for the police. He said no and he was arrested, beaten and tortured the next day. And has been in jail ever since.

He once asked me, ‘What good did all the fact-finding do? How many complaints did we lodge? How many times did we go to court? Did anything ever change in the civil war?’

The SC judgement banning the arming of Salwa Judum didn’t stop SPO Kursam Asant Kumar from having his gun with him when he was killed in a gun battle on August 19, in Bijapur. The war continues. Kopa, like the adivasis of Bastar, stays in a jail called industrial development.

— The writer is a journalist

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column_price-of-saving-a-life-21-months-in-jail_1588880

SI arrested for beating tailor to death in Bihar

2011-09-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

Express news service, Sun, Aug 07, 2011

A trainee sub-inspector posted with Town police station of Muzaffarpur beat a 50-year-old tailor to death on Friday. The tailor had tried to save two neighbours, being beaten up by three policemen in plain clothes.

This is the second incident of police atrocity in the last three months.

Police said that Shamshuddin, living near Dharam Samaj Sanskrit College in Kanhauli Dih area of Muzaffarpur, tried to intervene when the policemen in plain clothes, whom the tailor had taken for criminals, were questioning Mohammed Mohsin and Mohammed Chunnu in connection with suspected arms hoarding in the area.

Three cops led by trainee SI Shailendra Kumar Singh took offence to Shamshuddin interfering with police functioning. The three cops allegedly spared the two youths and started beating up the tailor.

As the tailor was pushed hard during his thrashing, his head hit some hard object. The tailor died on the spot.

Though the police remained in state of denial, defending the cops till Friday, DGP Neelmani finally ordered action against the errant SI, who faces a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The DGP said, “The SI has already been sent to jail. He will be suspended within three days.”

The DGP added that the role of two police constables is being looked into by Tirhut Range deputy inspector general of police.

The action against the SI was made possible by the massive public protest after Shamshuddin’s death. Irate protesters had set a policeman’s motorbike on fire. They later put Shamshuddin’s body outside the main gate of the college, blocking traffic and demanding adequate compensation and a job for the next of kin of the deceased.

Meanwhile, the Opposition RJD got another issue to hit back at the Nitish Kumar government.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad mocked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s claims on improved law and order. “Hardly had people forgotten police atrocity in Forbesganj, Muzaffarpur incident took place putting question marks on so-called good governance,” he said.

Four people from minority groups were killed in police firing at Forbesganj, Araria on June 3. A judicial probe is being carried out in the case.

The National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women also took serious note of the Forbesganj firing.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/si-arrested-for-beating-tailor-to-death-in-bihar/828296/0

Court frees youth from Tihar, says he was a minor when jailed 7 years ago

2011-09-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

Ashutosh Bhardwaj, Sun, Aug 07, 2011

Booked for murder, he cleared Class X, XII, BA while in jail; ossification test establishes age

After spending seven years in jail during which he cleared Class X, XII and BA-I, a murder accused walked free on Saturday after the Juvenile Justice Board declared closure of the case against him as he has already undergone the maximum punishment of three years in custody.

A Delhi court ruled earlier this week that according to the ossification test (conducted on bones to determine age) he was a minor when the offence was committed. However, the mandatory ossification test in such contentious cases, was conducted seven years after the boy was arrested.

He wishes to forget the past and focus on his life ahead— which includes a job with the Vedanta group that awaits him.

“I am so happy. I was selected by the Vedanta Group during a campus placement in Tihar in February. I am now waiting for the joining letter, which was to be given after I am released,” the youth, now 22-year-old, told The Sunday Express.

Overruling the 2005 order of the Juvenile Justice Board that held him to be a major on the date of the incident, March 14 2004, an Additional Sessions Judge declared him to be a juvenile and directed to send the case again to the Board, which set him free on Saturday.

During his jail years, besides securing first division in Class X, he scored 73 per cent marks in Bhartiya Sanskriti Evam Rashtra Gaurav and 70 per cent in Mathematics in BA-I (private) from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, last year. The result of BA-II is expected this month.

A native of UP, he was among the seven persons accused of hiring a Qualis in March 2004 and murdering its driver. The vehicle was hired for Delhi-Bijnore trip and Dharmaveer was found murdered near Bijnore. According to the prosecution, the vehicle was hired to ensure the release of another accused from police custody. Among the seven accused, two are in Tihar, two out on bail, one killed and another released after being declared a juvenile.

Soon after the arrest in 2004, when he was produced before the sessions court, the judge, on the basis of birth certificate and other documents submitted by the defence, referred his case to the Juvenile Board. But. the police claimed the documents were fake and the Board declared him to be a major and the case was sent back to the sessions court in 2005.

“Soon after, he filed an appeal with Tihar authorities seeking that he be declared as a juvenile,” said defence lawyer Tanveer Ahmed Mir.

The appeal remained buried in court files even as he obtained interim bail to appear in various academic exams, whose certificates continued to show his date of birth as September 9, 1988, suggesting he was a minor when the offence was committed.

“The appeal was filed in 2005 and ought to have been disposed within 30 days under the Juvenile Justice Act but it remained pending for long. The Board gave erroneous judgment based on documents presented by the prosecution without sending the accused for the mandatory ossification test,” Mir argued before the court.

On March 22 this year, the ASJ allowed his appeal and ordered the ossification test. The test conducted by the doctors of Deen Dayal Upadhaya Hospital found his present age to be between 22-25 years. While the prosecution stressed on the upper limit, the judge relied on HC judgments and provisions of Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) Rules, 2007 and emphasised on the lower limit. “The age of the accused was approximately 14 years on the date of the incident,” the ASJ said.

Subsequently he was shifted from Tihar to Juvenile home on August 1 and was produced before the Juvenile Board on Saturday.

“After seven long years, he will breathe free air,” said his brother, who with his mother came from UP to receive him.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/court-frees-youth-from-tihar-says-he-was-a-minor-when-jailed-7-years-ago/828219/0

SC calls for arrest of 2 cops in Dara case

2011-08-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Bhadra Sinha, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, August 08, 2011

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered immediate arrest of two senior Rajasthan police officers in the alleged fake encounter killing of Dara Singh, who according to the state government’s claim was a “dreaded gangster.” “Police personnel involved in fake encounter killings should be awarded death sentence and hanged,” said a bench of justice Markandeya Katju and justice CK Prasad, directing the CBI to arrest additional DGP Arvind Jain and additional SP Arshad Ali, if the two failed to surrender. Besides, a police informer and three policemen of junior rank will also be arrested for the alleged killing.

The bench added: “Police personnel as custodians of law are expected to protect people and not eliminate them as contract killers. Fake encounter killings by cops are nothing but cold- blooded brutal murder which should be treated as the rarest of rare offence and police personnel responsible for it should be awarded death sentence.”

When Singh’s widow Sushila Devi alleged former state minister, Rajender Rathore, was also an absconder, the bench said: “The same parameters will apply and the law shall take its own course. If crimes are committed by ordinary people, ordinary punishment should be given but if the offence is committed by policemen much harsher punishment should be given to them because they do an act totally contrary to their duties.”

The court gave four weeks time to file a status report before it. It also quashed a criminal case against some CBI officials that was registered on the orders of additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Jaipur, following a complaint filed by an arrested accused. The complainant had alleged the CBI officers had subjected him to third degree torture after arresting him.

Jain and Ali were part of the Special Operations Group that allegedly eliminated Dara Singh on October 23, 2006 in a fake encounter. On the widow's petition, the SC had in April last directed a CBI probe.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/SC-calls-for-arrest-of-2-cops-in-Dara-case/Article1-730954.aspx

2 sentenced to 7 years in prison for robbing man

2011-08-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, August 09, 2011

Expressing concerns about deteriorating law and order situation in the city, the court of additional sessions judge Kamini Lau on Monday said there has been a spurt of criminal activities involving youngsters. Sentencing two boys to 7 years' imprisonment for robbing a man of his wallet and other valuable belongings, judge Lau said, "Criminals are unhesitatingly and indiscriminately using dangerous arms on helpless victims, who may or may not offer any resistance, thereby, spreading terror in the society."

According to the prosecution, the robbery took place on October 6, 2009, when one Rajesh Khanna was talking on his cell phone on the roadside after parking his motorcycle near Sant Kripal Ashram in Model Town in north-west Delhi.

Three motorcycle-borne youths, including absconding accused Naka, accosted him and robbed him of his phone, wallet and other valuables. The prosecution said accused Arora, Kuldeep and Naka snatched Khanna's wallet containing Rs 15,000, his credit card, mobile phone, gold chain and a bracelet apart from other valuables. A case was registered at Model Town police station and Arora and Kuldeep were later held.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/2-sentenced-to-7-years-in-prison-for-robbing-man/Article1-731009.aspx

Builder fined for missing amenities, to pay Rs 10 lakh

2011-08-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Kanchan Chaudhari, Hindustan Times, Mumbai, August 13, 2011

It's a stroke of good news for every flat owner promised the earth and then left with just a basic flat and few amenities.

A Mumbai-based construction company has been ordered to pay Rs 10 lakh to a flat owner for failing to provide promised facilities such as a gymnasium, a lift with a swipe-card facility, parking space and space for a society office.

Acting on a complaint filed by retiree Jugraj Madhani, owner of a 1,600-sq-ft flat in Ugam Presidency Society in Juhu, a Mumbai consumer court directed the builders of the housing society - Dev Constructions - to pay up Rs 10 lakh for failing to provide the amenities specified in the purchase agreement.

Madhani first issued a notice to the builder in October 2007 calling upon them to provide common facilities as promised in the purchase deed.

A reply from the builder that they had complied with all provisions of the agreement compelled Madhani to seek legal course. Accordingly, in March 2008 he moved the consumer forum.

Based on the occupancy certificate issued to the housing society by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Mumbai Suburban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum ruled in Madhani's favour, stating that not providing common facilities as promised in the purchase agreement amounted to deficiency of service, and giving the builder eight weeks to pay Madhani Rs 10 lakh for mental agony caused and Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.

If the construction company unable to pay the penalty within the stipulated time period, it will have to also pay interest at the rate of 9% per annum.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Builder-fined-for-missing-amenities-to-pay-Rs-10-lakh/Article1-733081.aspx

Court sentences man to 25 years in prison

2011-08-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, August 14, 2011

A city court has sentenced a man, convicted of cold-blooded murder of his sister-in-law after he failed to rape her, to 25 years of imprisonment. Sentencing the accused, additional sessions judge Kamini Lau said, "It certainly falls within the category of rare cases". Rejecting the leniency plea, additional sessions judge Kamini Lau said, "The convict is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life with the direction that he shall not be considered for grant of remission till he undergoes an actual sentence of 25 years."

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Rastogi stipulating that the amount, if recovered, should be given to the victim's minor daughter who lost her mother at the age of two and a half years.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Court-sentences-man-to-25-years-in-prison/Article1-733092.aspx

34 sentenced to life imprisonment in Bihar

2011-07-28T03:49:00.000-07:00

Gopalganj/Madhepura, Jul 23

At least 34 people were sentenced to life imprisonment today by local courts in connection with three separate cases of murder in Bihar's Madhepura and Gopalganj districts.

A fast-track court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Bipin Bihari Mishra held seven persons responsible for thrashing to death two brothers at Amawa Vijaypur village under Kuchaikot Police station in the Gopalganj district on March 30, 1994.

Mishra sentenced the convicts to life imprisonment. He also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of the convicts.

In Madhepura (rpt) Madhepura district, fast-track court judge Yogesh Narain Singh found 12 persons guilty of murdering Tapeshwar Yadav and Amrendra Yadav at Jeevaspur village under Gamaria police station in the district March 3, 2002.

The court awarded life-term to all 12.

In another case, the court of Additional District and Sessions judge Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav pronounced 15 people guilty of killing Ramesh Jha at Bela Sadi village in the district on August 18, 1988.

Singh sentenced them to life imprisonment.

http://www.lensonnews.com/lensonnews/1/16/4229/1/34-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-in-bihar.html

Life imprisonment for 16 in Bihar

2011-07-28T03:45:00.000-07:00

PTI, July 3, 2011

Sixteen persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by local courts on Saturday in Rohtas and Sitamarhi districts in connection with separate cases related to murder.

A fast-track court judge (Rohtas) Binod Kumar pronounced 14 persons guilty of killing two villagers and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

The court, however, acquitted another person for want of sufficient evidence.

The case related to killing of two persons using sharp-edged weapons at Patnawa village in Rohtas district following old enmity on August 25, 2007.

In Sitamarhi, a local court sentenced two persons to life imprisonment in a murder case.

Fast-track court judge Arvind Kumar held Bharat Mahto and Sheojit Mahto guilty of murdering Falku Mahto and awarded life term to them.

To solve one case, cops trace 40 missing girls

2011-07-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

Faizan Haider, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, July 14, 2011

Over the past 10 days, the Delhi police, infamous for its lackadaisical attitude towards missing persons, have managed to trace and rescue at least 40 girls who had gone missing. These missing girls were found as part of the police’s investigation to identify the skeletal remains of a body found in Vasant Vihar on July 3.

It all started when parents of more than 40 missing girls came to the local police station after reading about the recovered body. Left with no choice, the police investigated each complaint in order to identify the body and traced each of the missing 40 girls.

“In the Vasant Vihar case, we took details from each person who approached us. We began connecting the links and traced more than 40 girls. More girls will be traced as we are contacting parents whose daughters went missing in the last few months,” said a police officer.

“A man contacted us claiming that the body could be of his missing daughter. We started looking for his daughter and found her in UP. Like this, many other girls have been traced and these parents are, in fact, happy that their daughters have been located,” the officer said.

Experts say like the Vasant Vihar case, police should investigate all missing complaints. “Tracing missing persons is not a priority for police. This is exactly what happened in Nithari (where the mutilated bodies of more than 20 children and young women who had gone missing over two years, were found in a drain behind a house while the police had refused to even register the complaints). After this, police were asked to form special squads and take all missing complaints seriously. But we hardly see them doing so. It seems human life is not important,” said Ranjana Kumari, a women right’s activist.

Cases of missing persons in the age group of 16 and 25 are often dismissed as elopments. “If the parents are influential or have contacts at the higher level, their complaints are followed up. The rest are mostly ignored,” said a senior police officer requesting anonymity.

This year, police have failed to trace 30% of the missing persons. Till June 30, 6,395 persons were reported missing. Of these, police were able to trace 4,071 while 2,324 are still untraced.

A senior police officer, however, said missing persons complaint were taken seriously by Delhi Police and the Station House Officers have been told to maintain a register, which has to be reviewed every day.

“Even when a DCP and above level officer visits a police station one of the three registers he scans is of missing persons. The SHO is responsible so he does take the missing person complaints seriously,” he said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/To-solve-one-case-cops-trace-40-missing-girls/Article1-721227.aspx

17 yrs on, woman seeks justice for her ‘missing’ son

2011-07-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

Harish V Nair, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, July 14, 2011

Seventeen years after her son went missing from police custody, a 94-year-old woman — Amar Kaur — has pleaded with Delhi high court Chief Justice Dipak Misra to direct the trial court to fast track the case so that she can “die peacefully”. The woman, her body half paralysed besides battling high blood pressure, heart problem and sugar down to serious levels, has been attending court proceedings on stretcher and wheelchair whenever she has been summoned for the past seven years.

The accused in the case are present Punjab vigilance department director SS Saini (then SSP, Ludhiana) and three other junior cops — MS Sandhu, Paramjit Singh and BC Tiwari.

Following the CBI chargesheet, a lower court in 2006 framed charges against them for kidnapping with intention to murder, wrongful confinement and criminal conspiracy. The trial is on at a Karkardooma court (next hearing July 26). The accused have challenged the charges in the high court and that too is pending (next hearing July 26).

In a telegram dated July 8, 2011, she pleaded: “The case is pending since 17 years. Proceedings are still delayed even though the Delhi high court had earlier ordered and the trial court promised day-to-day hearing. I’m 94 years old and all hopes of getting justice in my lifetime is fading away. Now I’m on my death bed. I implore you to order day-to-day hearing so that my soul may rest in peace.”

The case was transferred to Delhi from Punjab by the Supreme Court in 2004 after Kaur cited Saini’s “ability to influence witnesses” given his powerful position.

Kaur’s son, Vinod Kumar, an automobile businessman, his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar, along with their driver Mukhtiyar Singh, had been taken into custody on February 23, 1994, at the Kotwali police station in Ludhiana and had never been seen since then. The CBI claims Saini nursed a grudge against Vinod and booked him under a case of economic offences. A case against Saini and others was registered on orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/17-yrs-on-woman-seeks-justice-for-her-missing-son/Article1-721240.aspx

Dr Death held sway over fake drug empire

2011-07-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

TNN Jul 16, 2011, 01.50am IST

NEW DELHI: Three persons were arrested in one of the largest racket of spurious drug production and distribution operating from Delhi and NCR. The gang, headed by a 55-year-old doctor, had been operating for over 5 years and had supplied spurious medicines worth over Rs 8 crore in Delhi and other states.

The accused have been identified as Dr Daya Shankar Mishra (55), Dinesh Sahu (52) and Moti Lal (45). Several members of the gang are on the run and police are yet to identify several chemists who were complicit in the racket, said cops.

The spurious medicine racket, operating in Delhi and Faridabad, blew the lid of a long-drawn interstate nexus between manufacturers, middlemen and chemists who received these drugs. Most of these medicines were sent to Bhagirath Place in Delhi as well as peripheries of others states in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh among others, said crime branch officers.

Fake medicines worth over Rs 24 lakh were seized in the raid, said cops. About 414 boxes of Voveran (pain killer), 1660 boxes of Pan-40 (for gastric acidity), 100 boxes of Taxim O (antibiotic), 160 boxes of Zentel (for intestinal worms), 5kg of loose Ceftum (antibiotic), 250 tablets and 12kg of loose Centum 500 tablets (antibiotic) have been recovered in large quantities, said police. The manufacturing plant with sophisticated machines worth more than Rs 30 lakhs were seized in Faridabad.

"On July 11, based on specific information a trap was laid near the Old Delhi Railway Station and Daya and Dinesh were nabbed. Spurious medicines of 200 boxes (10x10) of Pan-40 and 414 boxes (25x15) of Voveran were seized. A case under relevant sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Copy Right Act, Trade Mark Act and Indian Penal Code was registered accordingly. On interrogation, Daya revealed that he ran an illegal drug manufacturing unit in Faridabad. His employee Motilal managed the unit for him. His unit produced spurious Pan-40, Taxim O, Zental and Ceftum tablets. He and Dinesh Sahu also procured spurious medicines from Sanjiv Garg and Sunil Sharma. Both are on the run," said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Ashok Chand.

Daya Shankar's manufacturing unit was unearthed at Plot No. 18, Sector 6, Faridabad. Among other machinery, the three main machines seized at the factory were a blister packing machine, a compressor machine and one shrink pack machine, said cops. The blister packing machine is the most expensive and is installed at a cost of over Rs 20 lakh. It packs two aluminium sheets together with the medicine tablets packed in between. The compressor machine is used to make cavities on one side of the aluminium sheets for the tablets to firmly settle into the space for packing. The compressor machine is also used to move the heavy rollers which move on dies to give the tablets their definitive shapes. The shrink pack machine wraps the cellophane sheet around the packets when ready. Different dies and rollers which were used to cast the tablets into various shapes and sizes have also been seized from the illegal factory. A large number of rubber stamps to mark the medicine packets with date of manufacturing, batch number, MRP and expiry date have also been seized. In addition to these, 19 large aluminium foil rolls printed with the names and descriptions of different medicines have been seized. More than 4,250 printed thin cardboard outer boxes used to pack medicines have also been confiscated.

There is a huge difference in the prices of the genuine medicines and that of the spurious medicines, said police.

"During interrogation, it was revealed that Daya and Dinesh sold these spurious medicines through one Ram Ashish in West Bengal, Mannu in Patna, Mandeep Kumar in Ranchi and Mohammed and one Kiran in Hyderabad. All these medicines are sent by courier and private transport to all these places. In Delhi, these medicines find their way into Bhagirath Place through their associate named Kamal alias Laddoo," said DCP Chand.

Police said the gang also supplied spurious Stemetil (antiemetic), Augmentin (antibiotic), Ocid (antacid), Methergine Postpartum (bleeding inhibitor), Omez (antacid) and fake Viagra into the markets in the past 5 years, said cops. Some of these medicines are very expensive and the racketeers minted money by pumping these spurious medicines into the markets all over the country.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-16/delhi/29781539_1_spurious-medicines-tablets-manufacturing-unit

No bail for power thieves without paying penalty

2011-07-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, June 20, 2011

A special court last week denied bail to four persons accused of power theft, until the full penalty for their offence was paid. Additional sessions judge VK Goel of the electricity court in Rohini sent the four to prison after separate FIRs were registered against them at two police stations, in Maurya Enclave and Adarsh Nagar, following complaints against them from Tatas-run power distribution company North Delhi Power Ltd (NDPL).

The accused — Yashpal, Nanhe Lal, Pale and Ravi — were produced before the court, where the judge said electricity theft was a serious offence and merely paying half the penalty — which is the practice — did not qualify for bail. “We hope such stringent judicial and police action against power thieves will act as a deterrent and also send a strong message to people who steal electricity,” an NDPL spokesperson said.

Pale and Ravi will now have to pay a penalty amount of Rs32,318 by July 10, while Yashpal and Nanhe Lal have been directed to stump up Rs1,51,110.

Earlier last week, another electricity court ordered the attachment of property of three offenders because they did not pay the penalty amounts.

Of the cases of power theft coming to light every year, the areas covered by BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna (BYPL) saw 996 instances where “power thieves” had opted for amicable settlements with the discoms by paying penalty amounts agreed upon mutually. Trouble began when several of these “reformed thieves” defaulted in paying even the settlement amounts.

Discom BYPL moved court against three such individuals. Subsequently, the court issued the ruling of property attachment (known as Kukri Zabti), the first time in power-theft cases. The three accused are residents of the walled city.

To settle power theft cases amicably, the discoms — NDPL, BYPL and BRPL — hold special sessions called lok adalats, where the cases are arbitrated.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/No-bail-for-power-thieves-without-paying-penalty/Article1-711413.aspx

CP fake encounter: Rs 15 lakh to widows of two victims

2011-07-06T03:04:00.000-07:00

Harish V Nair, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, July 05, 2011

Fourteen years after two Haryana-based businessmen were gunned down in a fake encounter at Connaught Place, the Delhi high court on Monday directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to pay a compensation of Rs 15 lakh each to their widows - Neema Goyal and Jaspal Kaur. Slamming the Home Ministry and Delhi government for delay in initiating disciplinary action against errant policemen and ordering an inquiry, Justice S Muralidhar said: "It can hardly be a matter of debate that there must be zero tolerance for criminal behaviour by men in uniform entrusted with the task of law enforcement and the protection of the life and liberty of persons."

"Both MHA and GNCTD have to be held answerable and accountable in law for this obvious failure to take prompt disciplinary action against policemen convicted and sentenced for murder of two innocent citizens. The Court is therefore constrained to direct the MHA to institute an appropriate inquiry by a senior level officer not below the rank of additional secretary in the MHA to inquire into the facts and circumstances under which there was delay in taking disciplinary action against the 10 convicted policemen and fix responsibility on the concerned officers," the court added.

"This case serves to highlight the steps that ought to be taken, within the framework of the legal system, in a situation of proven police violence resulting in violation of human rights," added Justice Muralidhar.

The order comes two months after the Supreme Court upheld the life sentence awarded by trial court to former ACP S S Rathi and nine other cops on May 2 for killing Pradeep Goyal and Jagjit Singh claiming they were "gangsters".

Following the order, Neema Goyal said, "Im not happy with Rs 15 lakh compensation. A precious life was lost. My husband was innocent..

The amount is a kind of peanuts. I have spent more than this amount on lawyers."

Goyal and Kaur had moved the Delhi high court for compensation soon after the October 24, 2007 trial court judgment convicting the police officials. The high court had upheld the punishment in September 2009, calling the "unprovoked indiscriminate firing" as "totally unjustified".

On the afternoon of March 31, 1997, a Delhi Police Crime Branch team led by encounter specialist Rathi had fired indiscriminately on a car on the suspicion that the businessmen were wanted Uttar Pradesh-based gangsters.

However, the team ended up gunning down two innocent businessmen.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/CP-fake-encounter-Rs-15-lakh-to-widows-of-two-victims/Article1-717349.aspx

Susairaj a free woman, 10-yr jail for boyfriend Jerome

2011-07-02T01:37:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Mumbai, July 01, 2011

Neeraj Grover murdercase co-accused Emile Jerome escorted by police to the court....

more photos »

A Mumbai court on Friday sentenced former navy officer Emile Jerome Mathew to 10-year rigorous imprisonment and Kannada actress Maria Monica Susairaj to three years in jail, which she has already served, in the murder case of television executive Neeraj Grover. The actor is likely to be released Saturday morning. Additional sessions judge MW Chandwani had on Thursday acquitted the two of the murder charge.

Mathew, 28, was convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and Susairaj, 30, was held guilty of destruction of evidence. “I am blank. How can a person convicted of a crime feel happy about being released?” Maria told HT after the sentencing.

On May 7, 2008, Jerome stabbed Grover in a flat hired by Susairaj in Dheeraj Solitaire building in Malad West. They hacked his body to pieces and disposed the body parts in a forest in adjoining Thane district.

Though the duo was charged with pre-planned murder, conspiracy and destruction of evidence, the trial court held that the media executive’s death was a result of a sudden provocation.

“When he entered the room he was calm. This showed he did not have intention,” Chandwani said while sentencing Jerome. “Obviously for a fiancé, in a situation where he finds a stranger with his partner, would upset a prudent man and he would lose control.”

Jerome will serve seven years as he has remained in jail for more than three years during the trial.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Susairaj-a-free-woman-10-yr-jail-for-boyfriend-Jerome/H1-Article1-715980.aspx

Man jailed for 7 yrs for raping, marrying and torturing cousin

2011-06-24T03:03:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, Jun 23 (PTI)

A Delhi court has sentenced a man to seven years imprisonment for raping his cousin for over 12 years and torturing her after forcing her to marry him.

"Whatever the extent of the prohibition, incest is universally condemned and viewed with horror. The existing social, cultural and the law prohibits such a relationship and hence the question of consent in any incestuous relationship, if any, would not arise in cases of incest," Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Kamini Lau said, while jailing Tri Nagar resident Inderpreet Singh.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.05 lakh on Singh stipulating that the same should be given to the victim.

The victim told the court that she was compelled to marry him in March 2008 after she became pregnant. After the marriage, her husband began physically assaulting and subjecting her to mental cruelty, she added.

"The victim of incestuous rape lacks self-confidence and is always under a sense of guilt and denial. Child sexual abuse is a rape of the mind and thought processes. The convict (Singh) before this court being the first cousin of the victim was in a position of trust and he exploited the family relationship," the court said.

Observing that the man being the son of the victim's uncle, the court said, "Where the elder cousin brother is the perpetrator of abuse on his cousin sister, he should not only be arrested but also punished sternly for offence of rape."

She alleged that Singh had been raping her since 1996 when she was just 15.

As per prosecution, Singh, 37, and the victim were living in a joint family and he used to teach her when she was preparing for her class 10th board exams.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/171020/man-jailed-7-yrs-raping.html

SEBI imposes Rs 14 cr penalty on two IPO scam financiers

2011-06-24T02:59:00.000-07:00

PTI Jun 3, 2011, 06.11pm IST

MUMBAI: Market regulator Sebi today imposed a penalty of Rs 14 crore on Dushyant Natwarlal Dalal and Puloma Dushyant Dalal, the two financiers for unlawful gains made during the infamous IPO scam of 2003-05.

The two had been accused of making unlawful gains of over 4.94 crore by cornering shares of various companies meant for retail individual investors and the penalty is three times of the amount.

"...considering all the said facts, it is felt that a consolidated penalty of Rs 14 crore on the noticees (Dushyant Natwarlal Dalal and Puloma Dushyant Dalal), which is approximately three times of the unlawful gains made by them, shall be commensurate with the violations committed by them," the Securities and Exchange Board of India said in an order.

The two have been directed to pay up the penalty within 45 days either jointly or individually.

The Dalals had been charged with being financiers to two key operators -- Sugandh Estates and Investments Pvt Ltd and Purshottam Budhwani.

The key operators had allegedly opened large number of demat accounts in the name of non-existent persons or name lenders and acquired shares of various companies by making applications in fictitious names.

The key operators subsequently transferred these shares through off-market deals to ultimate beneficiaries who had acted as financiers.

The Dalals were charged with being parties to such unlawful act of cornering shares and acting in connivance with others to make unlawful gains at the cost of other individual investors.

IPOs of major firms like IL&FS, IDFC, FSC Software Solutions, Gateway Distriparks, Provogue, MSP Steel, Nectar Lifesciences, Shoppers' Stop and Suzlon were targeted by the two key operators the Dalals had connived with.

SEBI said: "... the noticees provided an aggregate of about Rs 85 crore towards subscription of these IPOs without any security and documentation. They received back the money in cash or in kind (i.e. by way of shares)".

It said that the manner and movement of shares and funds transferred clearly indicate that the transactions were not "normal lending".

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-06-03/news/29617098_1_ipo-scam-sugandh-estates-unlawful-gains

Centre-court partnership clicks, 6.5 lakh undertrials freed

2011-06-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Nagendar Sharma, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, June 02, 2011

For the first time, a joint initiative of the government and high courts has resulted in freedom from jails for around 6.5 lakh undertrials across the country in the short period of just 14 months.

In a letter to chief justices of all the 21 HCs congratulating them for the success of the special drive, law minister M Veerappa Moily has advised them to encourage trials through video conferencing to cut down the delays in deciding cases of undertrials lodged in jails.

According to official figures cited in the letter, seven lakh cases, which were taken up between January 26 last year to May 31 this year involving the undertrials, resulted in around 6.5 lakh undertrials being released from jails while 68,744 were convicted for offences committed by them.

The latest figures show that out of a million (10 lakh) undertials lodged in jails when the special drive to reduce congestion in jails was launched last year, now only 2.25 lakh of them remain behind the bars.

“It has been seen in majority of cases that the undertrials languishing in jails were accused of committing petty offences and were unable to come out because of stringent bail conditions,” Moily said.

“Having been encouraged with the kind of performance under the leadership of all the chief justices of high courts, fully supported by the subordinate courts and also the state governments, I would urge all of you to further step up the programme," Moily wrote.

The law minister has suggested to the chief justices and state governments to seize the opportunity by utilising the funds provided by the Centre for the electronic courts project.

“Video conferencing facilities are being provided to the district courts and the extent possible to the jails. This facility can be effectively utilised for reducing the number of undertrials and also speeding up the trials,” the minister stated.

“The concept of video conferencing will ensure that the delays in disposal of bail applications of undertrials and hearing of cases is reduced to a large extent,” Moily wrote.

A background paper prepared by the law ministry has cited many reasons for its stress on trials through video conferencing. “It saves time and manpower spent on transporting the accused to courts and in providing security to them. This procedure also reduces interference by the media,” it stated.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Centre-court-partnership-clicks-6-5-lakh-undertrials-freed/Article1-704959.aspx

Court awards Rs 30 lakh to businessman paralysed in mishap

2011-06-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI): A 51-year-old businessman, rendered bed-ridden for life due to paralysis because of spinal cord injuries sustained in a motorbike accident last year, has been awarded over Rs 30 lakh as damages by a road mishap tribunal.

"I award Rs 30,80,047 as compensation," said MACT Judge Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal, directing Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Ltd, which had insured the offending vehicle, to pay the amount to the victim.

The court awarded damages to Paharganj businessman Vinod Kumar Aggarwal, saying the driver of the offending motorcycle was driving in a rash and negligent manner.

The victim told the court that on the night of April 1, 2010, he was going towards Mayapuri flyover while riding pillion on a motorcycle, which was hit by another motorcycle from behind.

It resulted in his motorcycle loosing its balance and he fell off it and received grievous spinal cord injuries, leading to paralysis affecting his legs and had to be admitted at Indian Spinal Centre in Vasant Kunj for treatment.

"Aggarwal will have to remain on bed throughout life and will require an attendant. He will have to suffer hardship, inconvenience, discomfort and mental stress in life. One can very well imagine the career he could have gained as he was having his own business. He has lost the aspirations of his family and the mental pleasure due to which he becomes entitled for damages for mental and physical loss and loss of enjoyment of life which curtailed because of his physically handicapped," the judge said.

http://www.anhourago.in/show.aspx?l=8629005&d=502

Jail inmates beat doctor to death in Gopalgunj, Bihar

2011-06-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

Alok Pandey, May 30, 2011

Click to Expand & Play

Gopalgunj: Right inside the high-security Gopalgunj District Jail, in the presence of four guards, seven prisoners beat a doctor, Dr BD Singh, to death.

Instead of raising an alarm the guards ran away.

''They are accused of kidnapping for ransom of a school boy that happened in 2009. Eight of them are serving life sentence. One of the main accused was allegedly said to be suffering from chicken pox. They called the doctor and told him that the man's condition is very serious,'' said K S Anupam, Superintendent of Police, Gopalgunj.

''It was all pre-planned. When the doctor went to treat the prisoner, the prisoners attacked him from behind. Compared to the number of prisoners, there were only four guards. What could they do? So they ran away,'' said Arjun, one of the relatives of the doctor.

The attackers were allegedly upset with Dr Singh because he had refused to issue them permission to be treated outside jail, where they could connect with their criminal friends better.

The police say they have no jurisdiction inside jails and can't account for this security breakdown.

But the question remains what about the District Administration that had received letters from the doctor saying he feared for his life.

''They had threatened to kill him. So he wrote to the district administration seeking help, but the officials did not pay any attention,'' said P D Singh, the brother of the doctor who died.

''If the relatives have proof that Dr Singh had sent a written complaint, let them show it to us. We have no such information. There is no breakdown of law and order in the state,'' said Amir Subhani, Bihar Home Secretary.

Bihar was synonymous with Goondaraj for decades, a tag Nitish Kumar has fought very hard to shed.

The Gopalgunj jail murder is a big jolt to Nitish Kumar's law and order record.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/jail-inmates-beat-doctor-to-death-in-gopalgunj-bihar-108966

Ex-INLD legislator Bali finally surrenders

2011-06-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Express news service, Sat, May 28, 2011, Chandigarh:

After daring the Haryana Police for about three weeks, former Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA from Meham Balbir Singh aka Bali Pahalwan finally surrendered before the police at Rohtak on Friday afternoon. Pahalwan, along with 20 others, was allegedly involved in an indiscriminate firing at Kalanaur grain market on May 5, leaving one person dead and eight injured.

He was taken into custody soon after his surrender along with his two accomplices Pawan and Dinesh. The former MLA also submitted four weapons, including three in his name. One was found to be without any authorisation.

Sources disclosed that Bali’s arms licence was not renewed after 2006 which makes the weapons in his possession illegal. Incidentally, Vishnu, who died in the May 5 incident, was shot using a .315 bore rifle. “It is yet to be verified if Bali’s arms licence was not renewed. His weapons will also be examined to ascertain if the bullet which killed Vishnu was fired from one of his weapons,” said Additional Director General of Police (law and order) B S Sandhu.

Hundreds of Bali’s supporters accompanied him in cars, jeeps, tractors, trolleys, buses and trucks to the office of V Kamaraja, Inspector General of Police, Rohtak range, where he surrendered at around 2.30 pm. His supporters kept on sitting outside the IGP’s office, till they were finally dispersed by the police, assuring a fair and impartial probe in the case.

The Haryana Police’s senior officers, including DGP Ranjiv Dalal and Sandhu, had been camping in Rohtak for the past three days to oversee Bali’s arrest. “We always wanted to avoid any commotion in the area, thus gave him time to come out of his hideout on his own and surrender. His movement was as such restricted. He finally surrendered,” Sandhu told The Indian Express.

Pahalwan and his two associates will produced in the court on Saturday.

So far, the police have arrested 15 accused on the charges of murder, attempt to murder and firing gunshots in the case.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/exinld-legislator-bali-finally-surrenders/796483/0

9 judges penalised, 30 face probe in MP

2011-06-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

Milind Ghatwai, Sat, May 28, 2011, Bhopal:

Three judges have been sacked for moral turpitude and six others ordered compulsory retirement by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

At least 30 district and subordinate judges in the state are facing inquiries, and action would be taken against them shortly, sources told The Indian Express on Friday.

Three civil judges were removed from service on charges like coming to work drunk, throwing their weight during train travel and assuming a false identity while complaining about a fellow judge. Civil Judge Vijay Kumar Singh was sacked for beating up a TTE when he was posted at Shujalpur. A departmental inquiry held him guilty and deprived him of two increments.

Another probe was ordered following complaints that he was often found drunk in public leading to his removal from service, Principal Registrar (Inspection and Vigilance) K D Khan said.

Another civil judge, M M Khan, was penalised for impersonating as a DFO while complaining about an additional district judge for illegal tree-felling. Khan had called up two HC registrars when he was posted at Jabalpur, the principal seat of the HC.

Nitin Kumre, a civil judge on probation, was accused of instigating a peon to commit suicide. Kumre did not complete his probation.

The action against the three follows termination of a judicial magistrate, Inder Singh Malviya, who had demanded dowry and beat up his would-be wife in the marriage hall in Dewas.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/9-judges-penalised--30-face-probe-in-MP/796465/

Court awards Rs 37-lakh aid to driver’s family

2011-06-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

Express News Service, May 28, 2011, New Delhi

The relatives of a 35-year-old driver, who was killed in an accident, have been awarded compensation of over Rs 37 lakh by a tribunal.

“The accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the truck driver. There is sufficient evidence on record to show the involvement of the truck, which caused the victim’s death,” Motor Accident Claim Tribunal Judge Rajiv Mehra said, awarding over Rs 37 lakh as compensation to the family of the victim, Harish Chandra.

The accident occurred on May 1, 2008, when Chandra’s bus was stuck in a drain near Karkardooma and a truck was summoned to pull it out. Chandra was standing between the two vehicles, trying to link them with a chain, when the truck driver, Rishi Pal, stepped on the accelerator and crushed him between the two vehicles.

He was rushed to the nearby Shanti Mukand Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Discarding the arguments of Pal and truck owner Rajinder Singh that the accident had occurred due to Chandra’s negligence as well, the court said there was no proof of any contributory negligence on the part of the victim.

The court directed Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Ltd, with which the truck was insured, to pay the compensation. “The insurance policy does not put any restriction in towing away of a disabled vehicle,” the court said, adding that even the Motor Vehicle Act says that a transport vehicle can be used to tow away another one and no separate permit is required for this purpose. The MACT ruled that compensation would be given to victim’s wife, children and parents.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/court-awards-rs-37lakh-aid-to-drivers-family/796455/

Court fines SHO for not verifying death of robbery case accused

2011-06-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

Express News Service, Sat, May 28 2011, New Delhi:

A Delhi court imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on a police officer for his failure to verify whether the accused in a robbery case was actually dead or just trying to avoid court by feigning death.

The accused, Shibu Kumar, was facing trial before the court.

“I impose a cost of Rs 10,000 on the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Keshavpuram police station. The fine shall be deducted from his salary. A copy of this order (should) be sent to the Commissioner of Police for compliance,” Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Kumar said.

On April 30, the judge had ordered the SHO to depute a sub-inspector rank official to verify if Kumar was actually dead. Facing trial for his involvement in a robbery case along with two others, Kumar was granted bail earlier but had stopped attending court as his counsel submitted that he was dead.

The court had then ordered the Keshavpuram police to verify if he was actually dead. The police, in turn, entrusted the job to a trainee police official.

The trainee official, on April 30, appeared before the court with a purported death verification report of the accused. The report, however, did not have the correct name of the accused mentioned on it.

This prompted the court to specifically ask the SHO to entrust the task to an official of sub-inspector rank so that he could produce either the mother, father, brother or wife of accused Shibu with documents to prove that he was indeed dead.

But the SHO failed to comply with the order by May 20, the next date of hearing. The court has directed the DCP (Northwest) to depute an inspector-rank official now.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/court-fines-sho-for-not-verifying-death-of-robbery-case-accused/796466/0

8 years on, stepfather among 2 convicted for murder of teenager

2011-06-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Pragya Kaushika, Wed, Jun 01 2011, Ghaziabad:

It took Seema Kumari eight years to get justice for her murdered teenage daughter. A Special CBI court in Ghaziabad, on Tuesday, convicted her second husband Chandrabhan Pandey and his brother Surajbhan of murder, conspiracy and destruction of evidence. The sentence will be pronounced on Wednesday.

The body of the victim was never found.

“I never had a chance to live my life after my family arranged my second marriage with Chandrabhan. He wanted my house and when I refused, he killed my daughter. I fought for eight years to have the culprits pay for their crime,” said Seema, mother of 14-year-old Khushboo, who was murdered in 2003.

According to S Islam, senior public prosecutor, CBI, Seema, an assistant accountant with a private firm, married Pandey, an electrician, after getting separated from her first husband, with whom she had had Khushboo. Seema, Pandey and Khushboo started living together at Swaroop Park in Sahibabad.

The house belonged to Seema, and Pandey gradually began to pressurise her to get the house transferred in his name, which Seema refused to do, the CBI counsel stated. According to the chargesheet filed in the court, on April 21, 2003, when Seema returned from work, she could not find her daughter. She finally lodged a complaint with the Sahibabad police on June 16, 2003.

In 2005, the Allahabad High Court directed the CBI to investigate the matter.

Senior public prosecutor Islam said after submitting the statement of 21 witnesses, CBI told the court that Khushboo’s step-father Chandrabhan Pandey strangulated her with the help of his brother Surajbhan. During investigation, the brothers said they had dumped the body near G T Road, but it could not be found.

http://www.anhourago.in/show.aspx?l=8615452&d=502

Five cops get jail for custody death

2011-06-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced five policemen to varying jail terms for causing the death of a youth in custody. Additional Sessions Judge K S Mohi awarded five-year jail terms to ASI Chaman Lal and three constables — Devender Singh, Surender Singh and Suresh Kumar — while head constable Ramesh Chand was sent to jail for three years. All policemen were suspended earlier. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on Chaman Lal who was held guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and destruction of evidence. Lal and other accused, posted at Patel Nagar, had picked up victim Madan Lal on suspicion of theft in 1993. According to the prosecution, Madan Lal was tortured inside the police station, leading to his death in November 1993.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/around-town/797861/

Two Judges suspended in Madhya Pradesh

2011-05-30T03:24:00.000-07:00

PTI , Jabalpur, Sun, May 8, 2011

Two Judges in Madhya Pradesh, one of them facing criminal charges, have been suspended, a top High Court official said today.

Special Judge of Sidhi O P Sunariya and Additional District Judge of Raheli in Sagar district S S Parmar have been suspended with immediate effect, MP High Court''s Principal Registrar (Inspection and Vigilance) K D Khan told PTI.

Sunariya was suspended for awarding only three-month jail term to an accused in a rape case instead of the minimum punishment of seven years in prison, he said.

Parmar has been suspended as he is one of the 32 accused named in a chargesheet filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi district court in a criminal case, he said.

The high court took the decision to suspend the duo at a meeting held recently. The suspension order has been served on them.

A departmental enquiry (DE) would soon be initiated against Sunariya, while there was no need to hold a probe against Parmar as, according to service rules, it is mandatory to suspend a staffer whose name figures in a chargesheet in a criminal case, officials said.

Sunariya has been shifted to Rewa district court and Parmar to Gwalior district court during the suspension period, they added.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/two-judges-suspended-madhya-pradesh-104800057.html

Jharkhand MLA jailed for kidnapping and murder

2011-05-29T03:02:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Ranchi, May 25, 2011

Sawna Lakra (70), a Jharkhand-based Congress legislator was on Tuesday sent to jail after he surrendered before a local court in connection with the alleged honour killing (murder) of a student, Avinash Tiwari, 21.

Lakra, who was absconding in the case, reached on the court premises in a Bolero jeep and surrendered before the chief judicial magistrate at 8am. The court, after rejecting his bail plea, took him in judicial custody for 14 days. He was forwarded to Birsa Munda Central Jail, Hotwar, Ranchi.

Lakra is accused of abducting Tiwari, who allegedly had an affair with one of his grand daughters, and later killing him in cold blood. Jharkhand police is also working on to ascertain reports that the youngster from Garhwa, around 210 km northwest of Ranchi, instead had an illicit affair with the MLA’s married daughter.

Tiwari was abducted on April 24 and his body was found on April 27 in a drain at Karra, around 20 km west of Ranchi. The victim’s father Sanjay Tiwari lodged a case with Namkum police station on Ranchi outskirts against the MLA on May 3. With police failing to arrest him, a Ranchi court declared him an absconder, asking him to surrender by June 16.

“We want him to be hanged,” said the victim’s father from Garhwa hearing about Lakra’s surrender. Senior police superintendent Pravin Kumar said they have enough evidences to prove Lakra’s conviction in the court.

Senior counsel, BM Tripathy, representing Lakra, said, “My client is absolutely innocent and unaware of the boy’s murder. It is up to the prosecution to prove the charges.”

Police had earlier recorded Lakra’s bodyguard, Janak Mahato’s statement, who surrendered a week back. He revealed to police that the legislator ordered one of his aides to kill Tiwari at his farmhouse. He said he saw the killing and got the body packed in a gunny bag before they disposed if off in his official car.

Tripathy said the statements given by the MLA’s bodyguard might have been obtained under police pressure. “The incriminating evidences collected by the police have to be corroborated in the court of law to prove Lakra guilty,” he said.

Although Lakra declined to talk to media, his wife, Sita Lakra claimed that her husband was innocent and that he was being victimized.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Jharkhand-MLA-jailed-for-kidnapping-and-murder/Article1-701630.aspx

BSP legislator Anand Sen gets life sentence for Dalit's murder

2011-05-18T01:43:00.000-07:00

18 May 2011, Man Mohan Rai, ET Bureau

LUCKNOW: In yet another instance of ignominy to the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh , Bahujan Samaj Party legislator Anand Sen and two of his associates have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Faizabad court for the murder of a 24-year-old pregnant Dalit.

He is the second ruling party MLA to be convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment this month. On May 6, BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari was found guilty of murdering PWD engineer Manoj Kumar Gupta, for refusing to pay money for Mayawati's birthday celebrations, and was given life sentence by an additional sessions judge.

The Milkipur MLA Anand Sen, who was a minister in the Mayawati government, was charged with plotting the murder of law student Shashi Prasad in October 2007. The victim's father, who is also a BSP worker, had accused Anand Sen of kidnapping and murdering his daughter. After killing the woman, who was pregnant, her body was dumped into the Gomti river, from where her wrist watch was recovered later.

The ruling party welcomed the court order and said the verdict had been possible due to effective steps taken by the state government.

"We welcome the court's decision to award life sentence to former minister Anand Sen and two others. Sen was immediately sacked from his ministerial post as soon as his name cropped up in the murder case", a party release issued here said.

Contrary to other political parties, BSP was the only party, which immediately took action against those found involved in criminal activities, it said. "In earlier governments in the state, the criminals were shielded but it was not done in the BSP regime", it added.

With two of its MLAs sentenced to life imprisonment for murder within a fortnight, the BSP government's image has taken a beating. With elections to the state barely a year away, the Mayawati government is trying hard to manage the crisis.

The BSP government had come to power promising better law and order. With its own leaders thrown behind bars, BSP has been pushed to the wall by opposition parties, who have highlighted the cases.

In January, BSP MLA Purushottam Diwedi was arrested by the police for raping a minor in Banda. The case is still on. Half a dozen elected leaders of BSP have gone behind bars since the party came to power in 2007.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/bsp-legislator-anand-sen-gets-life-sentence-for-dalits-murder/articleshow/8407121.cms

Four Uttarakhand cops sent to Tihar Jail

2011-05-14T03:07:00.000-07:00

Express News Service, Fri, Apr 29, 2011, New Delhi

A Tis Hazari court on Thursday sent four Uttarakhand policemen, allegedly involved in the July 2009 fake encounter killing of a youth near Dehradun, to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till May 9.

The accused are Inspector Santosh Kumar Jaiswal and sub-inspectors Gopal Dutt Bhatt, Niraj Yadav and Chandra Mohan Singh Rawat.

Special Judge V K Maheshwari also issued fresh non-bailable warrants against three other police officials — Rajesh Bisht, Nitin Chauhan and Ajit Singh — after they failed to appear in the court despite non-bailable warrants being issued against them.

Eleven other accused persons against whom the court had issued notices on the last date of hearing were also present in the court on Thursday. The court has posted the matter for arguments on May 9.

Ranbir Singh, a 22-year-old MBA student, was allegedly gunned down by the Uttarakhand Police on July 3, 2009. A resident of Meerut, Singh had gone to Dehradun in search of a job when police shot him dead on July 2, 2009, after accusing him of robbery. The case was transferred from Dehradun to Delhi last month.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/four-uttarakhand-cops-sent-to-tihar-jail/783213/

City plans first open prison, identifies land in West Delhi

2011-05-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

Chinki Sinha, Fri, Apr 29, 2011, New Delhi

Delhi’s first open prison is slated to come up in Baprola on the western outskirts of the city. Land for this purpose has been earmarked and the acquisition process is on, prison officials said.

Around 10 acres of land has been identified and the correctional facility is being planned to house a select group of convicts.

“We have constraints. A few states have open jails and we are studying the models. We have requested the Delhi government for land. The Director General of Prisons intends to bring more reforms at Tihar keeping in view the conduct of the inmates and the contemporary moves for reformation, correction and rehabilitation. We intend to go for semi-open jail first that will be attached to the Tihar complex,” DIG R N Singh told Newsline.

Open prisons are a reward for good conduct inside prison, a transition phase where an inmate prepares to live and work in society after he has completed his sentence, a place where he can sample freedom before he is freed.

While open prisons are fully independent in functioning, semi-open prisons are located in prisons. Such reforms are intended for convicts in the prison and not undertrials.

“It is the need of the hour and a move towards reforms in prison. It is giving the inmates a bit more freedom to become part of the society, be equipped to join the society later,” Singh said. “Rajasthan is doing very well with open prisons.”

Prisoners not serving time for heinous crimes will be put into the open prison, which will not have high walls.

A few months ago, around 350 inmates at Tihar had written to the Delhi government requesting an open prison system so they could have greater freedom. They had cited 27 other prisons across the country that have adopted the open prison model like in Rajasthan, where inside the Sanganer facility, 160 residents live with their families in a housing facility that consists of two rooms, a kitchen and a bath area. The inmates in this complex can leave the premises after 6 am but have to be back by 7 pm. They are allowed to work within a 8-10 km radius of the prison complex.

While Tihar officials have not yet figured out which inmates will be eligible, in order to make the project risk-free, inmates who are serving sentences under the MCOCA and TADA won’t be eligible for open prison.

“Right now, we are going in for open prison and semi-open prison and not open colonies where prisoners can live with their families,” Singh said. “A city like Delhi has some limitations and we have to work within those.”

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/city-plans-first-open-prison-identifies-land-in-west-delhi/783201/0

On the run for 4 years, former UP MLA arrested for murder

2011-05-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Lucknow, May 1, 2011 (PTI)

Former Samajwadi Party MLA Mohammad Ashraf, an alleged acussed in BSP legislator Raju Pal''s murder case, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh''s Special Task Force from Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Ashraf, who has been on the run for four years and was wanted in connection with nine cases, was arrested last night, Special Director General of Police Brij Lal told reporters here today.

Ashraf, who is the brother of former MP Atiq Ahmad, carries a reward of Rs 1 lakh.

"During interrogation, Ashraf accepted his involvement in BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case," he said.

Brij Lal said that the former MLA is being brought to Allahabad where he would be produced before a court.

"During interrogation Ashraf alias Khalid Azeem revealed that there were several licenced fire-arms in the name of family members, including Ateeq''s wife," he said.

The SDG said that Ashraf told them that while on run, he stayed in an apartment purchased by Ateeq in Okhla area in Delhi.

"He also used to visit his relatives in Aligarh and Merrut, besides visiting one Mustaqeem in Kurla area in Mumbai," he added.

"Ashraf was being financially helped by his two sisters in Merrut and Aligarh and Ateeq himself," he said.

Ashraf has 34 cases, including those of murder and violation of the Gangster Act, pending against him.

Raju Pal was shot dead in January 2005 in Allahabad.

http://www.in.com/news/current-affairs/fullstory-on-the-run-for-4-years-former-up-mla-arrested-for-murder-18751287-e0400048a9d553039a0563b9a888bb92e4598e67-rhp.html

One undertrial has been in Tihar for more than 10 yrs

2011-05-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, May 06, 2011

Tihar has an undertrial, Pradeep Singh, who has been lodged there for more than 10 years as his case is sub judice. The longest serving convict in the jail is a man, Rajender Singh, who has been in jail for over 21 years. Convicted in robbery and murder cases, he is serving a life term. And former telecom minister A Raja, who is lodged in Tihar's sub jail 1 as an undertrial, enjoys no extra facilities.

These were some of the facts disclosed by Tihar jail administration in response to queries submitted under the Right To Information (RTI) Act by Subhash Chander Aggarwal, a resident of Chandni Chowk.

According to the jail's reply to the RTI query, till December 31, 2010, there were 8,087 undertrials at the jail. The rest of the prison's population comprised of 2,751 convicts.

Asked by Aggarwal about any "extra facilities" enjoyed Raja, the jail administration said: "No extra facility has been provided to prisoner A Raja. However, the facility of watching TV programmes have (sic) been provided to all prisoners including A Raja."

Raja was chargesheeted in the 2G Spectrum scam by the Central Bureau of Investigation. In the reply, the administration clarified that "no person (prisoner) was designated as VIP".

Asked by Aggarwal about the type of work allotted to Raja, the jail administration clarified that under-trials, including Raja, are not assigned any work.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/One-undertrial-has-been-in-Tihar-for-more-than-10-yrs/Article1-694012.aspx

Justice takes 50 RTIs, 2 yrs

2011-05-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Rhythma Kaul , Hindustan Times, New Delhi, May 03, 2011

Fifty Right to Information (RTI) applications over two years is what helped R P Manchanda (59) to fast-track the investigation to prove that medical negligence killed his 30-year-old daughter. Medical negligence cases routinely take about five years to be resolved. Manchanda's daughter Nitika had a baby on May 3, 2009 at Max Hospital, Pitampura.

She died two days later within hours of complaining of a severe backache. The cause of death was put down as ‘acute circulatory failure’.

In June 2010, Delhi Medical Council (DMC) declared that there had been no medical negligence. So Manchanda appealed to Medical Council of India (MCI) on August 4 last year.

The retired State Bank of India official filed 20 RTI applications in DMC and MCI to track the case’s progress.

He filed another 20 in Directorate of Health Services to know about the departments concerned from which he can gather relevant information, and another 10 in Delhi Police and hospitals to get the post-mortem report.

“I must have filed some five RTI applications just to get the post-mortem report. The MCI’s acknowledgement came through RTI. And it was through RTI only that I got to know that the MCI had ruled in my favour,” said Manchanda.

The MCI reply dated April 16, 2011 (a copy of which is with HT) holds immediate treating doctors at the hospital guilty of negligence in patient care.

The quantum of punishment will be decided in the meeting scheduled for May 10.

“In the past, even cases from 2003 had been hanging, but now we have standardised the procedure,” said Dr S K Sarin, chairman, governing body, MCI.

In response, Max claimed to not having received any intimation from the MCI about this decision.
“The decision on the said appeal can only be given after hearing both the parties on May 10, 2011. We don't consider it appropriate to comment till the appeal is heard by the MCI,” Max authorities said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Justice-takes-50-RTIs-2-yrs/Article1-693037.aspx

CP shootout: SC upholds life sentence

2011-05-03T04:10:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondents, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, May 02, 2011

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the life conviction of 10 Delhi Police officials including an Assistant Commissioner of Police in the 1997 CP shootout case. Two businessmen had been killed by errant policemen in a fake encounter. A bench of Justice H S Bedi and Justice C K Prasad dismissed the appeal filed by the 10 policemen, including former ACP S S Rathi, challenging the Delhi High Court verdict that sentenced them all to life imprisonment. The high court had upheld the trial court order pronouncing the accused guilty of the offence.

The high court had on September 18, 2009 upheld the conviction and life sentence of the policemen for killing two Haryana-based businessmen on account of mistaken identity in Connaught Place. It had concurred with the trial court's judgement that had held them guilty of murder on October 24, 2007.

On the afternoon of March 31, 1997, a Delhi Police Crime Branch team led by encounter specialist Rathi had fired indiscriminately on a car on the suspicion that the businessmen were wanted Uttar Pradesh-based gangsters.

However, the team ended up gunning down innocent businessmen Pradeep Goyal and Jagjeet Singh. The team had intercepted the businessmen's car in CP's outer circle and opened fire on it, mistaking one of them as the wanted gangster, Yaseen.

In his appeal, Rathi had that it was not a case of murder committed as per a pre-planned conspiracy. It was a chance occurrence, owing to several coincidences which made the police team arrive at a wrong conclusion, his appeal had said.

The other nine convicts are Inspector Anil Kumar, Sub-Inspector Ashok Rana, Head Constables Shiv Kumar, Tejpal Singh and Mahavir Singh and Constables Sumer Singh, Subhash Chand, Sunil Kumar and Kothari Ram.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/CP-shootout-SC-upholds-life-sentence/Article1-692522.aspx

Police apologise for his six years in jail, but make him run to clear name

2011-05-03T04:01:00.000-07:00

Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi, Sat, Apr 16, 2011

When Prempal looks back, all he remembers are the days he spent in court and prison. The 56-year-old skilled labourer can readily compute the 2,349 days — six years, five months and nine days — that he spent behind bars since 1991, after the police started foisting false criminal cases on him.

By 2007, he was “falsely implicated” in as many as 18 cases, including child rape, attempted murder and 13 thefts. According to Prempal, in a couple of cases, police simply picked up household articles from his house such as his television and music player, and then arrested him for “stealing” them.

When he did manage to procure bail, Prempal busied himself in getting his son and daughter married. He secured loans, sold his ancestral land and requested relatives to provide household necessities to his daughter on the promise that he would pay them once his name was cleared.

The first breather he got was in 2004, when Justice (retired) S N Dhingra, then a sessions judge, acquitted him in the rape case and noted that Prempal, being a poor person, had failed to move the wheels of justice in his favour. Stating that “criminal characters” in the police had framed him and his sons in false cases, the judge said the people responsible for converting him into a “living corpse” should get “exemplary punishment”. He also recommended that Prempal be adequately compensated.

Later, in 2005, the Sangam Vihar police arrested Prempal again on charges of firing at policemen. However, after Justice Dhingra intervened, the police had no option but to release on bail. Two years passed before another attempt-to-murder case was slapped on him in 2007.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/police-apologise-for-his-six-years-in-jail/776999/

HC orders release of boy who spent 4 times his jail term

2011-05-03T03:58:00.000-07:00

Harish V Nair, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, April 19, 2011

Detecting shocking violation of law, the Delhi high court on Tuesday directed the Tihar jail authorities to free a Bangladeshi youth languishing there for almost 12 years, when as per law the maximum he could be sentenced to was three years. From a bone-tissue test done at Aiims following his plea that he was underaged when the robbery-cum-murder he was convicted of was committed on May 7, 1999, the court found that the boy was indeed a juvenile. He was in jail ever since his arrest in August 1999.

As per the Juvenile Justice Act, maximum a juvenile — a person up to 17 years old — can be imprisoned is three years for any crime, including murder.

The trial court had sentenced him to life imprisonment presuming that he was above 18, and an adult. Suhas, a migrant, had no one to help him. He had no family members in Delhi. It was a lawyer Ajay Verma whom the Delhi high court appointed as a legal aid, fighting the case for free, who defended him.

"There are several cases in Tihar jail of those who committed crimes as children languish for more than their maximum term. Many of them have suicidal tendencies. As per rules after three years, they are to be subjected to reformative process," said Verma.

Recently in another case the high court ordered Delhi government to pay a compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs to a juvenile jailed for eight years in similar circumstances.

Said a bench headed by justice B D Ahmed ordering the release: “The medical board was of the considered opinion that the bone age of the convict was 25 years to 28 years. This means that on the date of the incident the appellant was between 14 and 17 years old.”

http://www.hindustantimes.com/HC-orders-release-of-boy-who-spent-4-times-his-jail-term/Article1-687288.aspx

MLA fined Rs 10,000 for not replying to filmmaker’s petitions

2011-05-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

Express News Service, Delhi High Court, New Delhi, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra,Tue, Mar 29, 2011

The Delhi High Court on Monday imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on a city MLA for not replying to a petition filed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, director of Hindi film Delhi-6, who had sought the quashing of an FIR lodged against him for allegedly depicting the Valmiki community in poor light in his film.

Justice Ajit Bharihoke directed Sultanpuri MLA Jai Kishan to deposit the fine with the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee after he sought four more weeks to file his reply.

Mehra, also the film’s co-producer, and UTV Motion Pictures (Mauritius) Ltd, had filed the petition seeking quashing of the FIR lodged by the MLA at the Mandir Marg police station for allegedly depicting a girl from the Valmiki community in a “derogatory” manner in the film, which starred Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles. The FIR was lodged on March 7, 2009 under various provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the the Protection of Civil Rights Act.

“The film insulted the community by depicting the role of a sweeper girl who was shown belonging to the community and some scenes had shown the said character in derogatory light,” the FIR had stated.

Responding to the allegations, the counsel for Mehra said, “The registration of the FIR and consequent investigation carried out by the local police on the complaint was a gross abuse of the law because of the fact that approval was granted to the film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mla-fined-rs-10-000-for-not-replying-to-film/768619/

Two sentenced to 10 years’ jail for kidnapping child

2011-04-29T03:34:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, April 17, 2011

A Delhi court has sentenced a woman and her associate to 10 years’ imprisonment for kidnapping an infant in 2008. Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said that kidnapping of infants has become a lucrative business. The police said Ritu Kapoor (42) and Mohd Jiyaul (26), a rickshaw puller, are "habitual child lifters".

The court said that no leniency could be shown to them, as "neither the child nor his body has been recovered."

The police said that the accused Ritu reached the complainant Anita's house and introduced herself as a government representative under the 'Ladli' scheme and asked for details of her child. Co-accused Jiyaul was waiting in an auto rickshaw.

Later, Ritu took the complainant’s one-and-half-month-old baby and fled from the spot in Jiyaul's vehicle.

Police failed to recover the baby. Ritu, arrested at Rajouri Garden in another kidnapping case, revealed her complicity in the matter. Jiyaul was arrested later. The court rejected Ritu's plea that she was "mentally disturbed".

The court said, "The convict (Ritu) has raised this plea at this stage as a last defence only to wriggle out and escape the penal consequences of her illegal acts”.

The court said that so far as the child is concerned, it is too small to identify anybody. The situation becomes all the more difficult when the victim belongs to a very poor family and the family of the child is unable to provide any identification proof in the form of photograph etc, it said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Two-sentenced-to-10-years-jail-for-kidnapping-child/Article1-686541.aspx

Court acquits Blueline driver after 14 yrs of trial

2011-04-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Sumit Saxena, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, April 13, 2011

After 14 years of trial, a city court has acquitted a Blueline driver charged with rash and negligent driving, resulting in grievous injuries to a roadside fruit seller. Interestingly, the court observed neither the victim nor the police official, who were eyewitnesses in the case, saw the bus being driven in a rash and negligent manner.

Slamming the police for delaying the trial for more than a decade, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Rakesh Pandit said eyewitness additional sub-inspector Harish Ram deposed in his cross examination that his vehicle was standing at about 90-100 metres from the place of incident.

The judge said, "He has not spoken anything as to whether accused was driving rashly or negligently. It can be assumed that he could not do so as there was a considerable distance between their place and the place of occurrence."

The court noted as per eyewitness Sukhdev Chaudhary, he was hit from behind and on being hit he became unconscious. In cross examination, he admitted that police had told the bus number to him. "So, it means that he is not aware regarding the identity of the bus, its driver or the fact that whether it was being driven rashly," said the judge.

According to the prosecution, on May 28, 1997 at about 9.15am on Gurgaon Road near Subbe Farm, the accused identified as Bhagwan (who uses his first name) was rashly or negligently driving a bus as to endanger human life and personal safety of others. Following his rash driving, the accused struck against Sukhdev Chaudhary and caused grievous injuries to him.

The court noted none of the eyewitnesses could prove that the vehicle was being driven rashly. In these circumstances, prosecution failed to prove on record that accused had committed the offence.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/tabloid-news/newdelhi/Court-acquits-Blueline-driver-after-14-yrs-of-trial/Article1-684540.aspx

Builder held for inferior construction

2011-04-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday Times of India, New Delh,Dwaipayan Ghosh, TNN, Mar 27, 2011, 07.22am IST

NEW DELHI: The Economic Offences Wing of the crime branch arrested a builder, Avdesh Mittal, on Friday after investigations showed that the concrete used in construction of a five-storeyed building in the M Block market road in Greater Kailash-I was of poor quality and the structure can collapse in case of a major earthquake.

The demolition of the structure, which was constructed in 2006, had been a bone of contention between the owner and the builder with the property owner wanting the structure to be razed because of the "inferior quality material" allegedly used by the builder in the construction , which resulted in seepage that caused cracks in the building.

It was only after two years and a trial court's stricture asking the police to take necessary action in the matter as the structure posed "probable danger" to the people living near it, that the EOW of Delhi Police was spurred into action and arrested Mittal, a resident of Greater Kailash-I , who is also the first person arrested in the case. The arrest comes days after Japan witnessed a devastating earthquake and tremors from Hindukush caused panic among Delhiites. Police said one N K Chauhan -the structural engineer who gave the certificate for the building -will be arrested soon.

"During interrogation, Chauhan admitted that he had neither supervised the construction , nor inspected the building, and had issued a certificate on Mittal's request, whom he claimed was his friend," said an investigating officer from EOW.

Referring to the recent incident of building collapse in Laxmi Nagar, the court had earlier asked the state government to do the needful in the case as the "danger of the construction (GK I building) is of a similar nature" .Furthermore, the building is situated in a thickly populated urban colony.

The court's order came while hearing the complaint of one Rajender Chhabra, who claimed that he had entered into an agreement in 2005 with a real estate company and its three directors for getting a house constructed on his 500 square yard plot. He claimed that he had entered into a business deal with the company for building a strong, earthquakeproof, three-storeyed house.

He, however, moved the court in 2008 alleging that the builders were cheating him by using poor quality material. He also claimed that he had got the building examined by a private body (ATES), which had opined that the material used was of very inferior quality and the building was earthquake-prone . The report concluded that the building should be immediately demolished to avoid any mishap.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-27/delhi/29194520_1_collapse-building-quality-material

Speedy trial gets woman Rs60 lakh compensation

2011-04-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

Hindustan Times, New Delhi, Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Who says things always move at a snail's pace in courts? Here is an example of super-fast trial. A Delhi court took just six months to order a compensation of Rs 60 lakh to the family of a school teacher who was run over by a speeding SUV in August 2010. A month after the death of her husband Satya Prakash Tiwari, Kalawati, 47, filed a petition before Motor Accident Tribunal judge Kanwal Jeet Arora in September 2010. Kalawati, a tailor in Indian Air force, fought the legal battle without engaging any lawyer. The court accepted her plea to fight unassisted and began the trial.

"I decided to fight this battle on my own. The judge appreciated my effort and gave our family speedy justice. But we are still waiting for the compensation amount to be transferred to my account," Kalawati said.

The judge, in the order pronounced on February 28, 2010, said, "The insurance company shall intimate to the petitioners about their having deposited the cheques in favour of the petitioners in terms of the award, at the address of the petitioners mentioned, so as to facilitate them to withdraw the same".

The court had directed Bajaj Allianz General insurance to deposit the compensation within a stipulated time frame or else a 12% interest would be levied on the insurance company.

Delhi police investigating officer Suraj Pal told the court that the deceased, Satya Prakash, a resident of Palam village, who was working as TGT (Sanskrit) with Navyug School, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, was traveling on his motorcycle.

Pal after recording statements of witnesses to the accident told the court that when Satya Prakash reached near Keshav Chowk, a Scorpio Car rammed his motorcycle with great force. Tiwari was rushed to AIIMS where he was declared brought dead.

Satya Prakash is survived by his two sons, Ajay Tiwari and Manish Tiwari, and his mother namely Surya Devi, as his sole legal heirs.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Speedy-trial-gets-woman-Rs60-lakh-compensation/Article1-684097.aspx

HC orders govt to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to juvenile murder convict

2011-04-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, April 02, 2011

The high court on Friday ordered the Delhi government to pay Rs 5 lakh as damages to a juvenile, who has been languishing in jail for more than eight years after his conviction in a murder case. According to law, a minor cannot be imprisoned for more than three years for any crime, including murder.

“The accused juvenile suffered incarceration for more than eight years, that is , nearly three times the maximum period prescribed under the (Juvenile Justice) Act,” a bench headed by Justice S Ravindra Bhat remarked.

The facts revealed an extremely disturbing picture, pointing to violation of the procedure established by the law and his illegal detention for five years, said the bench while noting that the boy was below 15 years of age at the time of a killing of man in Tis Hazari Court Complex in November 2001.

The trial court had sentenced the boy, along with another man, in 2004 without heeding to the boy’s defence that he was a juvenile at the time of the incident.

This failure was systematic because no one, including, the police, prosecution, counsel and the trial court, detected that the accused was a minor in conflict with the law, the bench said.

The fact that the convict, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, was a minor at the time of killing at the Tis Hazari Court canteen in November 2001, was determined after the high court had in August 2009, acting on the boy’s appeal against his conviction by the trial court, ordered examination of his age.

The incident dates back to November 11, 2001, when the boy, after having some drinks with two of his friends in Tis Hazari Court canteen, had an altercation with one of them who was strangulated to death by the boy and another accused, Subhash with a PVC pipe.

The boy, along with Subhash, was arrested the following day and sentenced to life by a trial court in October 2004. The Delhi high court, while ordering the release of the boy from jail, however, upheld the conviction of Subhash.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/HC-orders-govt-to-pay-Rs-5-lakh-compensation-to-juvenile-murder-convict/Article1-680344.aspx

Man gets 2 year RI for giving false evidence in court

2010-11-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

Press Trust Of India, New Delhi, October 24, 2010

A Delhi court today awarded rigorous imprisonment (RI) for a period of two years, to a man convicted for deliberately giving false evidence in judicial proceedings.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Vinod Yadav refused to show any leniency to convict Jagbir Singh, as witnesses turning hostile had an adverse impact on conviction rates.

"This court has noticed that on account of persons deposing falsely in the court, a lot of criminals go unpunished. As a consequence thereof, the general public gets the feeling that by deposing falsely in the court of law, the accused can get away," he said.

However, taking into account the fact that the convict had two school-going children to support and had faced trial for 10 years, the court awarded him rigorous imprisonment for two years only against the maximum jail term of seven years for perjury.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict, besides ordering him to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation to the state.

It rejected a plea of the defense counsel that Jagbir be released on probation.

Jagbir was held guilty under section 197 (giving false evidence) of the IPC, following a complaint filed by Metropolitan Magistrate M S Rohilla.

Rohilla had to acquit an accused in 1999 in a case lodged under section 304A (rash and negligent act causing death) of IPC due to flip-flops by Jagbir, a key eyewitness, during the trial.

In the complaint, the magistrate had said Jagbir and Lala Ram, who were eye-witnesses in a case lodged at Bara Hindu Rao police station in 1992, had deposed falsely.

The trial against Lala Ram was abated as he died during the proceedings.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Man-gets-2-year-RI-for-giving-false-evidence-in-court/Article1-617102.aspx

Former chief of Dasna jail booked for prisoner’s murder

2010-11-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

Peeyush Khandelwal, Hindustan Times, Email Author, Ghaziabad, October 21, 2010

Former Dasna jail superintendent VK Singh was booked for murder on Thursday. An FIR was registered against Singh and others in connection with the mysterious death of Frontier Mail serial bomb blasts suspect Mohammed Shakeel last year. The case was registered at Masoori police station on the direction of Ghaziabad Chief Judicial Magistrate.

Besides Singh, the court ordered to file an FIR against deputy jailer Ramji Singh, two constables and some other staff.

Confirming the court’s order, senior superintendent of police Raghubir Lal said the officials were booked under sections 302 (murder) and 120-b (criminal conspiracy).

The series of events that led to murder and criminal conspiracy charges against the jail officials was the suspected custodial death of Frontier Mail serial bomb blast accused Mohammed Shakeel, who had allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at Dasna Jail Complex in June 2009. However, his post-mortem report could not ascertain the exact reasons that led to his death. Following allegations of foul play by his family, a chemical analysis of victim’s viscera was carried out which revealed death due to poisoning.

“He didn't die of asphyxiation due to hanging as projected by the jail officials. We approached the court, saying that he was killed inside the jail complex. A chief judicial magistrate also conducted an inquiry into the incident and later the court ordered to lodge an FIR against jail officials,” said Subhash Tyagi, Shakeel’s advocate.

Shakeel’s brother, Mohammed Habib, who is also a complainant in the case, alleged that Shakeel was murdered under a criminal conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Singh, who is presently posted at the Bareilly Central Jail, told the Hindustan Times that he was on a five-day official tour for forensic science training session in Delhi at the time of the incident. “Even our deputy jailer Ramji Singh was on leave on the day Shakeel died. The forensic reports from Lucknow have confirmed that he didn’t die due to poisoning. The allegations against us are not true and would come out clear in police investigations,” Singh said.

Shakeel and his accomplice Aamir were the prime suspects in the 1997 Frontier Mail serial bomb blasts. Around 15 FIRs were lodged against the duo in Delhi and two in Ghaziabad under various sections of the Explosives Act and the IPC. Before 2005, the two suspects faced trials in Delhi and were lodged at the Tihar jail.

Later, they were transferred to Dasna jail to face trial in cases lodged against them at Ghaziabad.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Former-chief-of-Dasna-jail-booked-for-prisoner-s-murder/Article1-616134.aspx