SC awards 6-month jail term to US-based man for ‘contumacious conduct’, imposes Rs 25 lakh fine

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June 3, 2023

handcuffed, supreme court, sc, american man, rs 25 lakh fine, contumacious conduct — SC awards 6-month jail term to US-based man for 'contumacious conduct', imposes Rs 25 lakh fine 2

The Supreme Court has sentenced a man, who is a resident of the United States since 2004, to six months in jail for his ”contumacious conduct” and directed the Centre and the CBI to take all possible steps to secure his presence in India for undergoing the prison term.

The apex court, which had in January held the man guilty of contempt for his failure to bring back his son to India in terms of a court order, directed that he shall pay a fine of Rs 25 lakh within six months.

A bench of Justices S K Kaul and A S Oka observed that the contemnor has not shown any sign of remorse and on the contrary, the submissions made on his behalf clearly showed that he has ”scant respect” for the top court’s orders.

”Considering his contumacious conduct, we propose to direct the contemnor to pay a fine of Rs 25 lakh and to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of six months for committing civil and criminal contempt,” the bench said in its verdict pronounced on May 16.

It said in case of default in the payment of the fine amount, he will have to undergo a further sentence of simple imprisonment for two months.

The apex court held the man guilty while hearing a contempt petition filed by a woman who had married him in 2007 and who alleged that he had breached the undertaking recorded in the May 2022 order passed by the court.

The court had noted that the contempt petition filed by the woman was an outcome of an unfortunate matrimonial dispute and ”as it happens in every such dispute, the child is the worst sufferer”.

It had said as a result of the ”breaches committed” by the man, the woman was deprived of the custody of her 12-year-old son to which she was entitled in terms of the May 2022 order.

According to the terms of settlement recorded in that order, the child, who was studying in Class 6 at that time, shall continue to live in Ajmer and complete his education up to Class 10 and thereafter, he shall be shifted to the US where his father is residing.

It was also agreed that until the child completes his education up to Class 10, he would visit Canada and the US with his father every year from June 1 to June 30.

The bench had noted in its January order that the man came to Ajmer on June 7 last year and took his son with him to Canada, but failed to bring him back to India.

In its verdict delivered last month, the bench noted that in terms of the undertaking given by the contemnor and the orders passed by the apex court, he was under an obligation to bring back the child to India on July 1 last year.

It also took note of the submissions of the contemnor’s counsel that as the child was subjected to alleged sexual abuse while he was staying with his mother in India, a forensic investigation is in progress in the US and therefore, the minor cannot be brought back to India unless the probe is over.

Referring to the contemnor’s conduct, the bench said his acts and omissions amounted to both civil and criminal contempt and this calls for a strict action against him.

While sentencing him to undergo simple imprisonment for six months, the bench said the fine of Rs 25 lakh shall be deposited with the apex court registry.

It said after the fine amount is deposited, the same be released to the petitioner (the mother of the child), who will be under an obligation to use that money only for the welfare and benefit of her minor son.

”We direct the Government of India as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation to take all possible and permissible steps to secure the presence of the contemnor in India with a view to ensure that he undergoes the sentence and pays the fine,” the bench said, while listing the case in the first week of August for reporting compliance.

Maharashtra Tribunal awards Rs 47 lakh compensation to family of Thane man who died in road accident

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ANI

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June 3, 2023

accident, graphic, thane, mumbai, pune, road accident — Maharashtra Tribunal awards Rs 47 lakh compensation to family of Thane man who died in road accident 4

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane district of Maharashtra has awarded a compensation of more than Rs 47 lakh to a woman and her children for the death of her husband in a road accident in 2018.

MACT member M M Walimohammed, in his order passed recently, ordered the owner of the offending vehicle and its insurer to make the payment to the claimants along with seven per cent interest per annum within two months.

The claimants included the victim’s wife Gousai Bashir Shaikh, her five children and his mother.

The deceased Bashir Shaikh, then aged 39, was into the business of auto spare parts and ran a vehicle repair garage. He earned around Rs 30,000 per month, the claimants said in their submission to the tribunal.

On September 8, 2018, the deceased, his brother-in-law and their friends went for dinner in a car to a roadside eatery on the Mumbai-Nashik highway. While returning home around 2.30 am on September 9, they parked the vehicle by the roadside as it was raining heavily. At that time, when the victim was trying to cross the road, a speeding car hit him. He suffered grievous injuries and while being taken to a hospital, their petition said. The offending vehicle belonged to Sayali Tours and Travels.

The tribunal ordered the travel agency as well as the insurance company – the New India Assurance Co Ltd – to pay a compensation of Rs 33,30,000 and also awarded Rs 13,32,000 towards future prospects (total Rs 46,62,000). Besides, it directed them to pay a total of Rs 60,000 towards loss of estate, consortium and funeral expenses.

In the order, the tribunal said a sum of Rs 3 lakh be kept as fixed deposit for the children, Rs 2 lakh for the mother of the deceased and the remaining amount for his widow.

US Prez Biden expected to sign budget deal to raise debt ceiling

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ANI

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June 3, 2023

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President Joe Biden is expected to sign legislation on Saturday to raise the debt ceiling, just two days before the US Treasury warned that the country would struggle to pay its bills.

The bipartisan measure, which was approved this week by the House and Senate, eliminates the potential for an unprecedented government default.

“Passing this budget agreement was critical. The stakes could not have been higher,” Biden said from the Oval Office on Friday evening. “Nothing would have been more catastrophic,” he said, than defaulting on the country’s debt.

The agreement was hashed out by Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, giving Republicans some of their demanded federal spending cuts but holding the line on major Democratic priorities.

It raises the debt limit until 2025 — after the 2024 presidential election — and gives legislators budget targets for the next two years in hopes of assuring fiscal stability as the political season heats up.

“No one got everything they wanted but the American people got what they needed,” Biden said, highlighting the “compromise and consensus” in the deal. “We averted an economic crisis and an economic collapse.” Biden used the opportunity to itemize the achievements of his first term as he runs for reelection, including support for high-tech manufacturing, infrastructure investments and financial incentives for fighting climate change.

He also highlighted ways he blunted Republican efforts to roll back his agenda and achieve deeper cuts.

“We’re cutting spending and bringing deficits down at the same time,” Biden said. “We’re protecting important priorities from Social Security to Medicare to Medicaid to veterans to our transformational investments in infrastructure and clean energy.” Even as he pledged to continue working with Republicans, Biden also drew contrasts with the opposing party, particularly when it comes to raising taxes on the wealthy, something the Democratic president has sought.

It’s something he suggested may need to wait until a second term.

“I’m going to be coming back,” he said. “With your help, I’m going to win.” Biden’s remarks were the most detailed comments from the Democratic president on the compromise he and his staff negotiated. He largely remained quiet publicly during the high-stakes talks, a decision that frustrated some members of his party but was intended to give space for both sides to reach a deal and for lawmakers to vote it to his desk.

Biden praised McCarthy and his negotiators for operating in good faith, and all congressional leaders for ensuring swift passage of the legislation.

“They acted responsibly, and put the good of the country ahead of politics,” he said.

Overall, the 99-page bill restricts spending for the next two years and changes some policies, including imposing new work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid and greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas pipeline that many Democrats oppose. Some environmental rules were modified to help streamline approvals for infrastructure and energy projects — a move long sought by moderates in Congress.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates it could actually expand total eligibility for federal food assistance, with the elimination of work requirements for veterans, homeless people, and young people leaving foster care.

The legislation also bolsters funds for defense and veterans, cuts back some new money for the Internal Revenue Service, and rejects Biden’s call to roll back Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy to help cover the nation’s deficits.

But the White House said the IRS’ plans to step up enforcement of tax laws for high-income earners and corporations would continue.

The agreement imposes an automatic overall 1 percent cut to spending programs if Congress fails to approve its annual spending bills — a measure designed to pressure lawmakers of both parties to reach a consensus before the end of the fiscal year in September.

In both chambers, more Democrats backed the legislation than Republicans, but both parties were critical to its passage.

In the Senate, the tally was 63-36 including 46 Democrats and independents and 17 Republicans in favor, 31 Republicans along with four Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats opposed.

The vote in the House was 314-117.

Odisha train accident: Death toll nears 300, another 850 injured; rescue ops underway

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Web Team

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June 3, 2023

odisha train accident, odisha, Indian Railways, accident, Coromandel Express — Odisha train accident: Death toll nears 300, another 850 injured; rescue ops underway 7

The death toll from the Odisha train accident involving two express trains — Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express — and a goods train in Balasore has surged to 288 and more than 850 are injured, a state government official told AFP on Saturday, making the rail accident the country’s deadliest in more than two decades.

Sudhanshu Sarangi, director general of Odisha Fire Services, also said that “rescue work is still going on” and there were “a lot of serious injuries”, according to AFP.

Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said on Twitter that over 200 ambulances had been called to the scene of Friday’s accident in Odisha’s Balasore district and 100 additional doctors, on top of 80 already there, had been mobilized. Early on Saturday morning, Reuters video footage showed police officials moving bodies covered in white cloths off the railway tracks.

“I was asleep,” an unidentified male survivor told NDTV news. “I was woken up by the noise of the train derailing. Suddenly I saw 10-15 people dead. I managed to come out of the coach, and then I saw a lot of dismembered bodies.” Video footage from Friday showed rescuers climbing up one of the mangled trains to find survivors, while passengers called for help and sobbed next to the wreckage.

The collision occurred at about 19:00 local time (1330 GMT) on Friday when the Howrah Superfast Express, running from Bangalore to Howrah, West Bengal, collided with the Coromandel Express, which runs from Kolkata to Chennai. Authorities have provided conflicting accounts on which train derailed first to become entangled with the other. The Ministry of Railways said it has initiated an investigation into the incident.

Although Jena and some media reports have suggested a freight train was also involved in the crash, railway authorities have yet to comment on that possibility. An extensive search-and-rescue operation has been mounted, involving hundreds of fire department personnel and police officers as well as sniffer dogs. National Disaster Response Force teams were also at the site.

On Friday, hundreds of young people lined up outside a government hospital in Odisha’s Soro to donate blood. According to Indian Railways, its network facilitates the transportation of over 13 million people every day. But the state-run monopoly has had a patchy safety record because of ageing infrastructure.

The state has declared Saturday a day of state mourning as a mark of respect to the victims. India’s deadliest railway accident occurred in 1981 when a train plunged off a bridge and into a river in Bihar state, killing an estimated 800 people.

India presses Germany to send back Baby Ariha as soon as possible

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PTI

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June 2, 2023

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India on Friday urged Germany to send back at the earliest an Indian baby girl who has been living in foster care in Berlin for over 20 months, asserting it is important for the child to be in her linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment.

The German authorities had taken custody of Ariha Shah on September 23, 2021, when she was seven months old, alleging that the parents harassed her.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Ariha’s continued stay in the German foster care and ”infringement” of her social, cultural and linguistic rights is of deep concern to the government of India and the parents.

On Thursday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking his assistance in bringing Ariha back home.

”We would like to reiterate that Ariha Shah is an Indian national and her nationality and socio-cultural background is the most important determinant of where her foster care is to be provided,” Bagchi said.

”We urge German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national. We remain committed to ensuring the return of Ariha Shah to India,” he said.

Bagchi was replying to a question on the matter during his weekly media briefing.

”We are dismayed to learn that the child was abruptly shifted away from her current foster parent to a specialised foster care arrangement. The manner in which this shift was carried out is a matter of concern,” he said. ”We and the parents believe that this rapid change is not in the child’s best interest and could have far-reaching consequences for her emotional and mental development,” he said.

Bagchi said the Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy of India in Berlin have been persistently advocating for the return of Ariha to India.

He said India has a robust child welfare and protection system, and there are potential foster parents in India who are willing to bring up the child in her own socio-cultural milieu. ”The German authorities have been made aware of India’s child protection system and the details of potential foster parents have also been shared with them,” he said.

”Ariha’s continued placement in German foster care and infringement of her social, cultural and linguistic rights is of deep concern to the government of India and the parents,” he said.

Zelenskyy says Kyiv knows it won’t join NATO until Russia war ends

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Afternoon Voice

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June 2, 2023

volodymyr zelenskyy, zelenskyy, ukraine, volodymyr, russian, russia — Zelenskyy says Kyiv knows it won't join NATO until Russia war ends 11

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that he understood that Ukraine would not join the NATO military alliance while the war with Russia was still going.

“We are adequate people and understand that we will not pull any NATO country into a war,” he said during a joint briefing in Kyiv with Estonian President Alar Karis.

“And that’s why we understand that we won’t be a member of NATO while this war is ongoing. Not because we don’t want to, because it’s impossible.”

RBI proposes norms on cyber resilience, digital payment security controls for PSOs

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ANI

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June 2, 2023

digital payment, payment, rbi, reserve bank, reserve bank of india, upi — RBI proposes norms on cyber resilience, digital payment security controls for PSOs 13

The Reserve Bank on Friday proposed to establish robust governance mechanisms for authorised non-bank payment system operators (PSOs) to effectively address emerging cybersecurity risks. Towards this goal, the central bank has issued a ‘Draft Master Directions on Cyber Resilience and Digital Payment Security Controls for Payment System Operators’.

The draft directions cover governance mechanisms for the identification, assessment, monitoring and management of cybersecurity risks, including information security risks and vulnerabilities. They also specify baseline security measures to ensure safe and secure digital payment transactions. The central bank said existing instructions concerning security and risk mitigation for card payments, prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) and mobile banking will remain in effect.

”To effectively identify, monitor, control and manage cyber and technology related risks arising out of linkages of PSOs with unregulated entities, who are part of their digital payments ecosystem, PSOs shall ensure adherence to these Directions by such unregulated entities as well, subject to a mutual agreement,” the draft directions said. The RBI has invited stakeholders to provide comments and feedback on the draft by June 30.

”The Board of Directors (Board) of the PSO shall be responsible for ensuring adequate oversight over information security risks, including cyber risk and cyber resilience,” the draft said.

Additionally, as per the draft, PSOs will be required to develop an approved Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP) to detect, contain, respond to, and recover from cyber threats and attacks. It further highlights the importance of inventory management, where PSOs should maintain records of key roles, information assets, critical functions, processes, third-party service providers, and their interconnections, and document their levels of usage, criticality and business value. It also covers network security, application security life cycle (ASLC), security testing, vendor risk management, business continuity plans and other key issues.

Regarding data security, the draft stipulates that PSOs must implement a comprehensive data leak prevention policy to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability and protection of business and customer information, both within the PSO’s control and at vendor-managed facilities.

Pride Month 2023: Bollywood films that portrayed stories of LGBTQ+ community

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ANI

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June 1, 2023

LGBTQ, LGBTQ month, badhaai ho, aligarh, 3. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga, 4. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, 5. Margarita With A Straw — Pride Month 2023: Bollywood films that portrayed stories of LGBTQ+ community 20

The month of June is designated as Pride Month, during which people of diverse sexual orientations march in parades to expressing one’s sexual orientation. Bollywood has often depicted several inspiring and distinctive LGBTQ films that have had a huge influence on viewers.

On the occasion of Pride Month this year from June 1 to June 30, let’s have a look at 5 Bollywood films that depicted homosexuality with pride!

1. Badhaai Ho

Directed by Harshvardhan Kulkarni, ‘Badhaai Do’ starred Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles. It depicted the little-discussed topic ‘lavender marriage’. A narrative about two homosexual persons who decide to marry each other, it demonstrates how gay people must make difficult “compromises” in order to please conservative sections of society and avoid being discovered.

2. Aligarh

Helmed by Hansal Mehta, the film was released in the year 2015 and was based on the actual incident of Professor Ramchandra Siras, played by Manoj Bajpayee, who was banned from Aligarh University for moral reasons after being caught having intimate relations with a rickshaw driver. Following the event, he was violently humiliated and mocked by society. The film received enormous awards for depicting this topic in a sympathetic and realistic manner. Rajkummar Rao, who portrayed the roles of a journalist Deepu Sebastian and battles for Siras’s justice, also gave an outstanding performance.

3. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga

This was one of the first times a major film depicted the narrative of a same-sex love relationship. Helmed by Shelly Chopra Dhar, the film starred Sonam Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Rajkummar Rao. Sweety Chaudhary, an innocent cheerful girl born and raised in a traditional Punjabi household, always wanted to be a bride since she was a young, but as she grows older, she finds she doesn’t want a husband on the other side. The film showed Sweety’s family and society’s strong rejection to her homosexuality. Sweety is reunited with her love Kuhu at the end of the film.

4. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan

Starring actors Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar, Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta in the lead roles the film was released in the year 2020. The film also highlighted the topic of same-sex marriage. In the film, Aman’s family attempts everything to keep them apart; nevertheless, Kartik does not back down and fights against all difficulties to marry Aman.

5. Margarita With A Straw

The film ‘Margarita With A Straw’ highlights two crucial issues: homosexuality and disability, both of which frequently provide challenges in the lives of individuals affected. Kalki Koechlin has done an amazing job as Laila, who has cerebral palsy and is still exploring her sexuality before discovering she is a lesbian. Discrimination in the society due to her disability and sexual orientation are the main highlights of the film.

Manipur violence: Rajiv Singh takes charge as new Director General of Police, replaces P Doungel

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ANI

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June 1, 2023

rajiv singh, ips, dgp, manipur, manipur violence, amit shah — Manipur violence: Rajiv Singh takes charge as new Director General of Police, replaces P Doungel 27

In a major reshuffle in the police leadership in the violence-hit Manipur, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Tripura cadre, Rajiv Singh, has been appointed as the new Director General of Police (DGP) for the northeastern state. He replaced P Doungel, who has been transferred to the post of OSD (Home), according to an official order by the order from the Governor of Manipur.

“Further, the Governor of Manipur is also pleased to order that Rajiv Singh. IPS (TR: 93) should take charge of the post of DGP, Manipur from Shri P. Doungel, IPS(MA:87) immediately upon joining the State Government. By orders and in the name of the Governor. (N. Geoffrey) Special Secretary to the Government of Manipur,” read the order from the Governor of Manipur. These operations are part of the overall ongoing efforts of the Army and Assam Rifles to restore peace and normalcy in the State of Manipur.

Manipur has seen ethnic violence with Chief Minister N Biren Singh stating earlier this month that around 60 people have lost their lives. Houses have also been burnt during the violence with new incidents also reported from some parts of the State. Meanwhile, Union Home Amit Shah also visited the state to assess the situation and plan further steps to restore normalcy there.

Shah said that the Central government has constituted a probe committee to be headed by a retired judge to investigate incidents of violence in Manipur that have led to the loss of lives and damage to properties. Addressing a press conference here said that a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team will investigate cases of violence in the state.

The Union Minister said, “Central Government has constituted a committee to probe into these incidents headed by a retired judge of the rank of the chief justice of a high court. The Governor of Manipur will head a peace committee with members of civil society.” “A probe panel will be set up to look into the reasons for the violence and to identify who was responsible for it,” he said.

The Union minister assured the people of Manipur that the investigations will be carried out without any bias and discrimination and the guilty will be punished.”Several agencies are working in Manipur to investigate violent incidents. High-level CBI probe in six incidents of violence that hint at a conspiracy. We will make sure that the investigation is fair,” Shah said.

Manipur witnessed violence on May 3 during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The march was organised in protest against the demand for inclusion of the state’s Meitei community in the ST category, following an April 19 Manipur High Court directive.

Maharashtra govt orders use of technology to stop cruel ways of killing unwanted poultry chicks

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ANI

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May 31, 2023

poultry, maharashtra, poultry chicks, maharashtra government — Maharashtra govt orders use of technology to stop cruel ways of killing unwanted poultry chicks 29

In a move aimed at stopping the cruel methods of killing unwanted male poultry chicks, the Maharashtra Commissionerate of Animal Husbandry has given instructions to the authorities to make use of the technology that identifies male embryos at an early stage of development so that eggs rather than live birds can be destroyed.

Currently, chicks unwanted by the egg and meat industries are killed by using methods like grinding, crushing, burning, drowning or being fed to fish.

In a circular issued on May 24, the commissionerate directed the district animal husbandry commissioners and the District Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to make use of the ovo sex-determination technology when it becomes commercially available in India. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said in a release that it had pointed out that the usual cruel methods of killing unwanted chicks violate sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. It requested the state to take steps towards ending any cruel killing methods as practised by poultry hatcheries and suggested the use of ovo sex-determination technology, saying that it has been developed abroad and has been in use.

In the circular, the commissionerate directed the use of in ovo sex-determination technology when it becomes commercially available in India. The directions were issued following instructions from the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. The commissionerate also said that in the meantime, unwanted chicks should be handled by methods prescribed by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Animal Welfare Board of India.

PETA India Deputy Director of Advocacy Projects Harshil Maheshwari said the horrific killing of male chicks simply because they can’t lay eggs is cruel and should be stopped immediately. ”We thank Maharashtra’s government for recognising the need to spare countless chicks gruesome deaths and urge it to help bring in ovo technology to India immediately,” she said. The animal husbandry departments of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Goa have committed to using in ovo sex-determination technology when it becomes available in India, PETA India claimed.