Bombay HC dismisses discharge application filed by Lt Col Purohit in Malegaon blast case

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January 2, 2023

Bombay High Court
Malegaon Blast Case — Image: PTI

Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed the discharge application filed by Lt Col Prasad Purohit in the Malegaon 2008 blast case.

He had filed this as an appeal against the Special National Investigation Case (NIA) court framing charges against him in the blast case.

High Court division bench has observed that Lt Col Purohit was not discharging duty as an officer of the Indian army while he was attending meetings of the Abhinav Bharat Group, as alleged by the NIA.

Purohit’s appeal was mainly based on his argument that there was a lack of sanction under section 197(2) of the CrPC from the Indian Army to prosecute him in the blast case because the charge framing was not valid against him, his plea argued. But NIA had confronted his sanction related argument in their reply.

“that Sanction was not required to prosecute Lt Col Prasad Purohit because he was not discharging his duty while he was attending those meetings,” NIA said in their reply The court accepted the NIA’s argument and dismissed Purohit’s appeal.

A bench of Justice AS Gadkari and Justice Prakash D Naik of the Bombay High Court passed orders today.

On August 1, the Supreme Court asked the Bombay High Court to decide expeditiously the plea of Lt Col Prasad Purohit, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, regarding the prior sanction for his prosecution.

Purohit had said that the sanction granted by the government to prosecute him in the case, was wrong in law.

A bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Justice Vikram Nath asked the High Court to decide the plea of Purohit pending already for quashing the sanction for his prosecution in the case.

“The writ petition filed by the petitioner bearing Writ Petition is pending consideration before the High Court wherein the petitioner has sought quashing of the sanction under Section 197(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case, we deem it appropriate to request the High Court to take up the said writ petition and decide the same expeditiously in accordance with the law. The writ petition is disposed of in above terms,” the bench in its order stated.

Purohit had moved the High Court with his plea challenging the validity of the sanction granted by the government to prosecute him under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in the case. A prior sanction for Purohit’s prosecution was required since he was a serving Army officer at the time.

Earlier, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court had dismissed his plea to discharge him from the case.

In the 2008 Malegaon blast case, six people were killed and over 100 injured after an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque at Malegaon in north Maharashtra, about 200 kilometers from Mumbai.

All the seven accused in the case are currently out on bail. BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Sameer Kulkarni, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahilkar, and Sudhakar Chaturvedi are the other accused in the case.

SC dismisses pleas challenging center’s decision on demonetisation

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Web Team

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January 2, 2023

Supreme Court
Demonetisation — Representative Image

Supreme Court dismisses the batch of pleas challenging the Central Government’s decision on demonetization in 2016 by majority of 4:1.

A constitution bench had heard the pleas questioning the decision taken by the Central Government in November 2016 to demonetize currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs.1000.

Justice B R Gavai says, “The Centre’s decision-making process cannot be flawed as there was consultation between Reserve Bank of India and government.”

Justice B V Nagarathna differs from Justice B R Gavai’s judgment on point of the Centre’s powers under section 26(2) of the RBI Act.

SBI asks field functionaries to desist from mis-selling of insurance products

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PTI

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January 1, 2023

SBI, Bank, Insurance,Products — SBI | Image: ANI/Representative

Within days of the finance ministry issuing a diktat against miss-selling, the State Bank of India (SBI) has asked its field officers to desist from forced selling of insurance products to its customers. In a communication to all public sector banks, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) had said there was an alarming increase in the number of complaints arising out of customers being forced to buy insurance products.

”We are confident that the circles must be fully adhering to the best practices and need-based selling of insurance products, still, there is an ongoing requirement of a strong emphasis and re-iteration of the zero-tolerance policy of bank towards any incident of mis-selling and forced selling to all operating functionaries,” SBI said in a communication to all its chief general managers.

The bank asked the field functionaries to ensure that the branches conduct need-based selling of insurance products with strict compliance to the Assessment of Suitability and Appropriateness Framework (ASAF) and sourcing of business is undertaken for 100 per cent KYC compliant accounts.

The DFS letter to heads of public sector banks said it had received complaints that fraudulent and unethical practices are adopted by banks and life insurance companies for procuring policies from the bank customers.

There have been instances where life insurance policies were sold to customers aged above 75 years in tier-II and III cities. Usually, branches of the banks push products of their subsidiary insurers. When resisted by customers, branch officials would sheepishly admit that they are under pressure from the top.

Insurance products are pushed when customers go to seek any kind of loan or buy a term deposit.

In this regard, the letter had said, the department has already issued a circular wherein it has been advised that a bank should not adopt restrictive practices of forcing customers for getting insurance from a particular company.

Kim Jong Un orders new ICBM, bigger nuclear arsenal to counter US threats

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Reuters

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January 1, 2023

Kim Jong Un
North Korea
Ballistic Missile — Image: Reuters

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles and a larger nuclear arsenal to counter US-led threats, state media said on Sunday, amid flaring tension between the rival Koreas.

At a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, Kim highlighted the need to secure “overwhelming military power” to defend its sovereignty and security.

The meeting came amid cross-border tensions over last week’s intrusion by North Korean drones into the South, and the North’s series of missile launches, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol, during phone calls with military chiefs, called for “solid mental readiness and practical training” to ensure any North Korean provocations will be met with retaliation, according to a statement from his office.

Kim accused Washington and Seoul of trying to “isolate and stifle” Pyongyang with US nuclear strike assets constantly deployed in South Korea, calling it “unprecedented in human history.”

He vowed to develop another ICBM system “whose main mission is quick nuclear counter-strike” under a plan to bolster the country’s nuclear force, the official KCNA news agency said.

“The prevailing situation calls for making redoubled efforts to overwhelmingly beef up the military muscle … in response to the worrying military moves by the US and other hostile forces,” it said.

South Korea has become “our undoubted enemy” being “hell-bent on imprudent and dangerous arms buildup” and hostile military moves, Kim said.

“It highlights the importance and necessity of a mass-producing of tactical nuclear weapons and calls for an exponential increase of the country’s nuclear arsenal,” Kim said, adding these would be a “main orientation” of the 2023 nuclear and defense strategy.

As part of the plan, the country will also launch its first military satellite “at the earliest date possible” by accelerating its drive to build a spy satellite, with preparations in the final stage, KCNA said.

‘Super-large rocket launcher’

The report came hours after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast, in a rare late-night, New Year’s Day weapons test.

The isolated country also launched three ballistic missiles on Saturday, capping a year marked by a record number of missile tests. KCNA said in a separate dispatch that it was testing a new 600 mm super-large multiple rocket launcher capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Kim lauded the munitions industry for delivering 30 units of the system, calling it a “core, offensive weapon” with all of South Korea within its range, and the ability to conduct a surprise and precision launch.

“We have declared our resolute will to respond with nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation,” Kim told a delivery ceremony on Saturday, ordering more powerful weapons to “absolutely overwhelm the U.S. imperialist aggressive forces and their puppet army.”

Inter-Korean ties have long been testy but have grown even tenser since Yoon took office in May pledging a tougher line against Pyongyang.

The recent drone intrusion rekindled criticism over South Korea’s air defenses, and Yoon on Sunday again urged the military to stand ready to retaliate.

“Our military must resolutely retaliate against any provocation by the enemy with the determination to fight,” Yoon told the military chiefs.

The latest missile flew about 400 kilometers (249 miles) after being fired around 2:50 a.m. local time (1750 GMT) from the Ryongsong area of the capital Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The JCS strongly condemned the North’s series of missile tests as “grave provocations” and urged an immediate halt. Japan’s coast guard said the missile reached an altitude of around 100 km and flew around 350 km.

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Tokyo had protested to North Korea over the launch via diplomatic channels in Beijing.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said the launch did not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory but highlighted the destabilizing impact of North Korea’s weapons program.

North Korea fired an unprecedented number of missiles in 2022, pressing on with weapons development amid speculation it could test a nuclear weapon for a seventh time.

In November, the North also resumed testing ICBMs for the first time since 2017, successfully launching the massive new Hwasong-17, potentially able to strike anywhere in the United States.

Bommai said,“Oppn mindset is being opened up by finding flaws in Kalasa Banduri project”

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ANI

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January 1, 2023

Basavaraj Bommai,Karnataka,Chief Minister,BJP — Basavaraj Bommai | Image : Twitter/@BSBommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the opposition Congress is showing its mindset by finding fault with the clearance given to the detailed project report of the Kalasa-Banduri canal by the Central Water Commission three days ago.

The Chief Minister also said the opposition is criticizing the creation of new reservation categories for Other Backward Castes because they are in trouble.

According to him, the much-awaited Kalasa-Banduri canal project to address the drinking water crisis in the parched regions of North Karnataka has reached its logical end. The Chief Minister said the Congress leaders have not read the entire report due to which they could not see the date and signature at the bottom of the DPR.

”The issue for which we (BJP) and they (Congress) had fought, has now reached a logical end after 20 to 25 years. Yet, finding fault with the order shows their mindset and nothing else. I am not bothered by their comments. My road is clear,” Bommai told reporters.

Now that the DPR is ready, the state government will seek clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, order tenders, and will start the work, the Chief Minister explained. Regarding reservation to the Other Backward Castes, Bommai said people will get to know when the final order of the Backward Classes Commission comes. He was referring to the abolition of two categories of 3A and 3B of the Other Backward Castes and the creation of 2C and 2D categories.

Those in 3A such as Vokkaligas and in 3B such as Lingayats, will now find a place in 2C and 2D respectively. As the Congress called the creation of 2C and 2D categories a political gimmick, the Chief Minister said the interim report has come where the government has conveyed its objective. However, the statistics will come in the final report, after which the government will discuss with the people concerned, he added.

”We are very clear that those in the backward castes will not be troubled. We have agreed to the clear objective of the interim report to avail benefit to the communities which lagged behind in terms of education and employment for the past many years,” Bommai said.

The Chief Minister also assured people that the government will give clarification if required. He, however, pointed out that everything will become clear once the final report comes. No injustice will be done to anyone. He charged the opposition with creating confusion among the masses on the issue. ”When the opposition parties were in power, they could not fulfill this demand. Now that we are doing it, they are in trouble,” Bommai said. The Panchamasali community of the Lingayat sect and Vokkaligas was demanding the 2A status of the OBC. The 2A is meant to classify the most backward among the OBCs and accordingly, they are given more preference in education and employment next is the 2B category which are moderately backward.

Ballistic missile launched by North Korea covered 400 km: South Korean military

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ANI

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January 1, 2023

North Korea
South Korea
Ballistic Missile — Image: Reuters

A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) test-fired by North Korea on Sunday flew a distance of 400 km, South Korea’s local news agency reported citing the country’s military.

The missile was launched from Pyongyang’s Ryongsong area at 2.50 am (local time), according to local media.

The missile, the first to be test-fired by the Kim Jong-un regime in 2023, was fired into the Sea of Japan and flew some 400 km before splashing into the sea, Yonhap quoted the South Korean military as saying.

According to North Korea observers, as quoted by the local media report, the Sunday exercise appeared to be another response to Seoul’s test launch of a homegrown solid-propellant space rocket on Friday.

The US Indo-Pacific Command issuing a statement said it is aware of the ballistic missile launch which highlights the destabilising impact of North Korea’s ballistic missile programs.

“While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch, alongside the three launches conducted less than 24 hours ago, highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs,” the statement posted on its Twitter handle read.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said US commitments to the defence of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad.

This latest launch comes as North Korean leader Kim vowed to increase the production of nuclear warheads “exponentially” and build a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, state media KCNA reported.

“Now that the South Korean puppet forces who designated the DPRK as their principal army and openly trumpet preparations for war have assumed our undoubted enemy, it highlights the importance and necessity of a mass-producing of tactical nuclear weapons and calls for an exponential increase of the country’s nuclear arsenal,” the report on 6th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of 8th Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee read, as quoted by KCNA Watch.

In its own announcement, the North said it fired “super-large” calibre artillery shells on Saturday and Sunday in sample tests.

The multiple rocket launcher system has been presented to the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea during its key plenary session, the KCNA reported. Kim Jong-un said the 600-mm super-large shells can be loaded with tactical nuclear warheads with the entire South in range, the KCNA added.

The South’s military categorizes such super-large multiple rocket launchers as SRBMs, given their ranges and trajectories.

The JCS denounced the North’s latest missile launch as an act of “significant provocation” that harms peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community, and a “clear” breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

“Our military will maintain a solid readiness posture based on capabilities to respond overwhelmingly to any North Korean provocations,” Yonhap quoted the JCS’ text message sent to the media.

On Saturday, North Korea test-fired three short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. The missiles were launched from Chunghwa County in North Korea’s North Hwanghae Province at around 8 a.m. local time, local media said.

Citing Japan’s Defence Ministry, the Japanese Kyodo news agency said that the three ballistic missiles flew over a distance of 350 km, reaching a maximum altitude of 100 km. All of the missiles landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The North launched around 70 ballistic missiles last year alone, the local media report said.

Rest in Peace Heera Baa

By

Vaidehi Taman

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January 1, 2023

heeraben modi, modi, narendra modi's mother, mother of modi, heera baa, heeraben — **Rest in Peace Heera Baa** 8

Heeraben Modi was a much-loved woman in India, many times she remained in news for various reasons. Heeraben used to live with PM Modi’s younger brother, Pankaj Modi, at Raysan village near Gandhinagar. The Prime Minister would regularly visit Raysan and spend time with his mother during his Gujarat visits. In June this year, PM Modi wrote a blog on her 99th birthday. In the blog, the Prime Minister wrote about various aspects of his mother’s life which “shaped his mind, personality and self-confidence. The Prime Minister, in the blog, says that compared to him his mother’s childhood was extremely difficult, adding that she lost her mother early in her life and that continued to pain her.

Heeraben used to wash utensils at a few houses to help meet the household expenses. She would also take out time to spin the charkha to supplement our meagre income. At the age of 99, she was very healthy and active. Till the end, she did not suffer much because whenever we saw her with Modi ji she looked happy and very active. She lived a full life, and hopefully, she was satisfied with her life. A life that departs at 99 should be celebrated.

The Prime Minister, 72, was seen shouldering his mother’s bier. The body was then put in an ambulance and the Prime Minister climbed in. The Prime Minister then performed the last rites. He was very calm and composed, rather accepting the fact that one day his mother had to depart as she lived her life to the fullest.

Narendra Modi was the third of six children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and Hiraben Modi. Modi’s family belonged to the Modh-Ghanchi-Teli (oil-presser) community, which is categorised as an Other Backward Class by the Indian government. Modi had only infrequently spoken of his family background during his 13 years as chief minister of Gujarat. In the run-up to the 2014 national elections, he began to regularly draw attention to his low-ranking social origins and to have to work as a child in his father’s tea shop on the Vadnagar railway station platform, a description that the evidence of neighbours does not entirely corroborate.

In a custom traditional to Narendra Modi’s caste, his family arranged a betrothal to a girl, Jashodaben Chimanlal Modi, leading to their marriage when she was 17 and he was 18. Soon afterwards, he abandoned his bride and left home, never divorcing her, but the marriage remained unmentioned in Modi’s public pronouncements for many decades. In April 2014, shortly before the national elections that swept him to power, Modi publicly affirmed that he was married and his spouse was Jashodaben; the couple has remained married, but estranged.

On October 7, 2001, as her son Narendra Modi took oath for the first time as the chief minister of Gujarat at the Helipad Ground in Gandhinagar, Hiraba Damodardas Modi, then 78 years old, sat in the front row among the audience. On seeing her, Anandiben Patel – who would go on to be a minister in that government and later become the chief minister of Gujarat and the governor of Uttar Pradesh – went to her and asked her to get on the stage. That was “the last public event” Modi that Hiraba attended, the Prime Minister wrote in his blog post on June 18, 2022, when Hiraba entered her centenary year.

Born in Visnagar near Vadnagar, Mehsana in 1923, Hiraba has been described by all who knew her, as “simple, healthy and affectionate”.

In his blog, PM Modi says his late father Damodardas would also have celebrated his 100th birthday a week before his mother. “A few youngsters from the society had come home, my father’s photograph was kept on a chair, there was a kirtan, and Mother was immersed in singing bhajans while playing the manjeera. She is still the same – age may have taken a toll physically, but she is as mentally alert as ever,” Modi wrote. God is kind, Heeraben lived with dignity and departed peacefully.

Rest in peace dear Baa.

Dalai Lama said, “China won’t succeed in destroying Buddhism”

By

ANI

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January 1, 2023

Tibet,Monestary,Arunachal Pradesh,Dalai Lama — Tibet,Monastery,Dalai Lama| Image: PTI

In a sharp attack on China’s moves to eliminate Buddhism, the Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama has said China is attempting to target and destroy Buddhism but it won’t succeed.

Speaking on the third and last day teaching program at Kalachakra Maidan in Bodh Gaya on Saturday, the Tibetan spiritual leader accused China of considering Buddhism poisonous and of carrying out a systematic campaign to destroy and weed it out from China, by destroying its institutions, but it has totally failed in doing so.

At the Bodh Gaya event Dalai Lama said, “We have strong faith in Buddha dharma, when I visit trans-Himalayan regions, I find local people very devoted to dharma and it is the case in Mongolia and in China too though the system (Chinese government) sees dharma as poison and tried to destroy it, but they are not successful. Buddhism was harmed by the Chinese government. Buddhism could not be destroyed from China. Even today, there are many people who believe in Buddhism in China.”

Dalai Lama said that the Chinese government destroyed many Buddhist Viharas, but the number of followers of Buddhism has not decreased in China. He said that many Buddhist monasteries still exist in China and people there have a deep connection with Buddhism.

“Those who are showing faith in me as well as faith in Buddhism, must accept the Bodhicitta (spiritual awakening) that I am imparting. Be it Tibetan or Mongolian or China, there are many Buddhist monasteries in China. I have been to China many times. Many Buddha Viharas exist there even today. People have Buddhism and Buddha in their minds. There is a lot of attachment towards Buddhism. The Chinese have an ancient relationship with Buddhism,” he said asked to practice Bodhicitta for the benefit of self or others. “If we look at Tibetan tradition also, Shakyas practice Bodhicitta in Nigama, Bodhicitta keeps the mind and body long and gives longevity. This also gives good sleep. Looking at the welfare of all, nothing can be better than this. Through the practice of Bodhicitta, the evils and sorrows within can be removed,” Dalai Lama said.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu also attended a teaching program by Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama at Kalachakra Maidan in Bodh Gaya on Saturday. More than 80,000 Buddhist devotees heard the discourse by the Dalai Lama.

A group of high-ranking Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks, who were on a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya recently, sought his Holiness Dalai Lama’s visit to Sri Lanka, which is reeling under a severe economic crisis.

They met the Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya on December 27 and were overwhelmed by witnessing a large gathering at the holy city.

The high-ranking monk wished the Dalai Lama to visit Sri Lanka and help to overcome the economic hardships his country has been facing currently.

New Year celebration: 156 people caught for drunk driving in Mumbai

By

PTI

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January 1, 2023

Drink N Drive
Mumbai Police
New Year Celebrations — Representative Image

Mumbai Police caught 156 people for drunk driving and 2,465 people for riding motorbikes without wearing helmets during the New Year celebrations in the city, an official said on Sunday.

A large number of police personnel were deployed across the city for the safety of citizens during the celebration and a campaign was conducted from late Saturday night till the wee hours of Sunday to check people violating traffic norms.

Traffic police had put up checkpoints on various roads in the city to keep an eye on those not following road rules, the official said.

The city police caught 156 drunk drivers, while the action was also taken against 66 people for rash driving, he said.

The official said the action was also taken against 2,465 people for riding motorbikes without wearing helmet and challans were imposed on 274 people for triple riding on two-wheelers.

The police also took action against 679 drivers for jumping traffic signals and fines were imposed on 3,087 vehicles after being found parked in no-parking areas, he said.

Commercial LPG cylinder price raises by Rs 25

By

ANI

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January 1, 2023

LPG Cylinders Price Hike — Representative Image: PTI

The Oil Marketing Companies on Sunday raised the price of commercial liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders by Rs 25 with immediate effect on the first day of the New Year 2023.

With this, the price of commercial LPG cylinders will be Rs 1,769.

However, there would be no change in the prices for domestic LPG.