A helicopter carrying Kedarnath pilgrims crashed on Tuesday. The helicopter carrying Kedarnth pilgrims from Phata.
Six people died in the crash, as per sources.
The administration team has left for the spot for relief and rescue work.
Details are awaited.
India is steadfast in its commitment to provide support in all arenas to African countries, for fulfilling their aspirations for peace and stability in the region, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday. Singh was addressing delegates from 43 African countries during India-Africa Defence Dialogue in Gandhinagar. The event was organised on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022.
He added that India is willing to work together with African countries in the areas of mutual interest. India’s defence and security partnership with the African continent will continue to be guided by our traditional goodwill towards African people. India does not believe in a hierarchical world order where few countries are considered superior to others. India’s international relations are guided by the very essence of human equality and dignity, which is a part of our ancient ethos, he said. “We do not believe in making or becoming a client or satellite state, and so, when we partner with any nation, it is on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect. Forging relations comes naturally to India, as we work towards mutual economic development,” he said.
“I am sure that you also share our belief that the global world order deserves to be democratised further. The world’s multilateral forums should be reflective of the change in global realities. In this regard, it is necessary to make the UN Security Council more representative which will give it greater legitimacy, thereby sustaining a global order in which the principles of international peace, security and order are respected universally,” he added.
India and African countries are important stakeholders in ensuring a safe and secure maritime environment, especially in the Indian Ocean Region, he said. “We work together in many regional mechanisms. These endeavours foster inclusive and constructive collaboration in dealing with shared security concerns and address common challenges to peace and prosperity,” he said. He added that over the years, India has contributed immensely to the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa. It is among the top three countries, contributing troops for UN peacekeeping, and has participated in most of the UN peacekeeping operations in the region. India has trained officers from several African countries at its military training institutions. “We have assisted in setting up of defence training institutions in some African countries. We have also extended counter-insurgency and training to many African partners, and organised multilateral field training exercises, like the AFINDEX-19. The next edition of this exercise is planned to be conducted in the First Quarter of the next year,” he said.
India remains united with African countries in their quest for peace, security, stability, growth and prosperity. India’s partnership with Africa is centred on the ten guiding principles articulated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the parliament of Uganda in 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had clearly stated that Africa will be at the top of India’s priorities, he said. DefExpo 2022, a defence industry exhibition is being held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between October 18-22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign has investigated nearly five million people over the past decade, the ruling Communist Party’s senior anti-corruption official said on Monday.
The party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection held a media briefing on Monday where the members explained their achievements over the past 10 years, NHK World reported. This meeting was held on the sidelines of the party’s 20th national congress. They said more than 4.64 million members have been probed for possible corruption and other lapses of discipline.
Xiao Pei, deputy secretary of the commission, pledged to continue the crackdown on corruption among party and government leaders. Xiao said the party is determined to win a fight against corruption by maintaining discipline, reported NHK World. Xi’s anti-corruption campaign, one of the key policies has reportedly helped strengthen his political base. Former members of the party leadership and emerging next-generation leaders were among those targeted in the anti-graft drive. Xi, who is expected to secure a third term as party leader, appears determined to further solidify his grip on power. Xi said in a report that the party will never rest in its fight against corruption, according to NHK World.
China’s 20th National Congress has already begun on Sunday where Xi vowed to further modernize the country’s military in line with goals for the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army in 2027, state media outlet Xinhua reported. While delivering a report to the 20th National Congress in Beijing, Xi Jinping expressed the desire to quickly elevate the people’s armed forces to world-class standards for building a modern socialist country. “We will strengthen Party building across the board in the people’s armed forces to ensure that they always obey the Party’s command,” Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The Party will improve the institutions and mechanisms for implementing the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the chairman of the Central Military Commission, he said. Xi said the communist party will strengthen Party organizations in the people’s armed forces, carry out regular activities and put in place institutions to improve the military’s political work. The CCP will intensify troop training and enhance combat preparedness across the board, strengthen all-around military governance, and enhance integrated national strategies and strategic capabilities, Portal Plus quoted Xi as saying. At the twice-a-decade meeting of the communist party, Xi said that the country has achieved full control over Hong Kong and turned it from chaos to governance, Reuters news agency reported. Regional experts say that Chairman Xi Jinping will undoubtedly extend his term in power for another five years.
He will either be re-elected as general secretary of the CCP or will be newly elected as chairman of the CCP, a title that has lain dormant since 1982 and was once the highest position ever held by Mao Zedong
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is likely to pass a resolution against the central government’s “Hindi imposition” in the state assembly today, said sources. As per reports, the resolution requests the union government to treat all languages ‘equally’.
The state assembly session will start at 10 am today. The move comes after the parliamentary panel made a recommendation to make Hindi the medium of instruction in central educational institutes.
Earlier on October 13, the ruling DMK’s youth and students wing announced a statewide protest in Tamil Nadu regarding the Hindi imposition by the Centre. Moreover, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin condemned the Centre against the alleged imposition of the Hindi language. Stalin, in his statement listed out the sacrifices youngsters made in history against “Hindi imposition” and said “not to impose another language war on us”. On October 10, Stalin tweeted: “The rigorous thrust by Union BJP government for #HindiImposition, negating the diversity of India is happening at an alarming pace. The proposals made in the 11th volume of the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language are a direct onslaught on India’s soul.”
The rigorous thrust by Union BJP government for #HindiImposition, negating the diversity of India is happening at an alarming pace.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 10, 2022
The proposals made in the 11th volume of the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language are a direct onslaught on India's soul. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Orry8qKshq
“If implemented, the vast non-Hindi speaking population will be made second-class citizens in their own land. Imposing Hindi is against the integrity of India. The BJP govt would do well to learn lessons from the Anti-Hindi agitations in the past,” Stalin added in his tweet.
Also amid the ongoing feud between the factions, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader O Pannerselvam (OPS) lashed out at the rival faction leader Edappadi Palalniswami (EPS) for not attending the assembly session that began on Monday.
The former Chief Minister OPS was seen participating in the proceedings of the House seated in the chair for AIADMK deputy floor leader. EPS was absent in the Assembly session. As per sources, he “boycotted” the Assembly session because rival faction leader OPS was made to sit as the Assembly Deputy Opposition Leader Chair, the sources said. Addressing mediapersons after the session, OPS said, “We are attending the Assembly session today as AIADMK MLAs. You should ask the EPS faction why they did not attend the assembly session.” On being asked about the existing feud in the party, OPS said that it is a dangerous situation that the bylaws of the party are being changed.
“MGR created this party for the cadres and subsequently Amma lead the party. She executed a lot of social welfare schemes. She protected the bylaws created by MGR. Even after 100 years, the bylaws will be protected no matter what,” he said. “People of Tamil Nadu are supporting us. MGR said that the cadres are the roots of the party. It is a dangerous situation that the party bylaws are being changed. This will cause pain to the soul of MGR,” he further said.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday passed a condolence resolution for the death of UK Queen Elizabeth, the former MLAs and prominent politicians who passed away recently. Assembly Speaker M Appavu postponed the session after the condolence resolution was passed. Later the Business Advisory Committee headed by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu declared that the State Assembly session would continue for October 18 and 19.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on early Tuesday carried out searches at multiple locations in various states across northern India in an ongoing case against gangs and their nexus with terror groups, sources said.
The raids were conducted in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers and traffickers based in India and abroad.
Separate teams of NIA in coordination with state police forces conducted these raids simultaneously at certain locations of the gangsters based on some specific inputs, a source privy to the development told Agencies.
On September 12, the NIA had conducted similar searches at 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and NCR region.
The NIA crackdown followed the launch of investigations against this nexus by the anti-terror agency after the re-registration of two cases, earlier registered by Delhi Police, on August 26 this year.
A few of the most desperate gang leaders and their associates based in India and abroad, who are spearheading and carrying out such terror and criminal activities were identified and booked.
“The recent sensational crimes and extortion calls by criminal syndicates and gangsters to businessmen, professionals including doctors etc., had created a widespread scare among the people,” the NIA had said earlier. “These gangs were using cyber-space to publicise these crimes to create terror among the public at large.” The NIA investigations also revealed that such criminal acts were not isolated local incidents but there was a deep-rooted conspiracy amongst terrorists, gangsters and drug smuggling cartels and networks, who were operating from both within and outside the country. “Many gang leaders and members had fled from India and were now operating from foreign countries, including Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia and Australia,” said the NIA when it first time carried out a mega raid against such gangs.
Ongoing probes by the NIA in cases being investigated by the Agency, such as the killing of Shaurya Chakra Awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh in Punjab also revealed that most of these conspiracies were being hatched from inside Jails of different States and were being executed by organized network of operatives based in abroad, the NIA has said
“Preliminary Investigations have revealed that these gangs were carrying out targeted killings, including those of prominent people, to terrorise the general public to extort money for running and promoting their criminal syndicates and activities. These gangs were also raising funds to carry out such criminal activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons.” In raids conducted last month to dismantle these transnational terror and crime networks, the NIA had conducted searches at 50 locations in Fazilka, Fairdkot, Mukhtsar Sahab, Moga, Taran Taaran, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Mohali Districts of Punjab, East Gurugram, Bhiwani, Yamuna Nagar, Sonepat and Jhajjar districts of Haryana, Hanumangarh and Ganganagar districts of Rajasthan and Dwarka, Outer North, North West, North East and Shahdara Districts of Delhi/ NCR.
The NIA then searched the premises of Goldy Brar (Canada), Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Varinder Pratap alias Kala Rana, Kala Jathedi, Vikram Brar, Gaurav Patyal alias Lucky Patyal (who was earlier arrested in Armenia), Neeraj Bawana, Koushal Chaudhary, Tillu Tajpuria, Amit Dagar, Deepak Kumar alias Tinu, Sandeep alias Bandar, Umesh alias Kala, Irfan alias Cheenu Pahalwan, Ashim alias Hashim Baba, Sachin Bhanja and their associates.
During the searches then, the NIA seized six Pistols, one revolver, one shotgun along with ammunition. Besides, drugs, cash, incriminating documents, digital devices, details of benami property and threat letters were also seized by the NIA in the operation conducted last month.
The Gujarat government on Monday defended before the Supreme Court its decision to grant remission to the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case saying remission was granted as they completed 14 years sentence in prison and their “behaviour was found to be good”.
The State government said it has considered the cases of all 11 prisoners as per the policy of 1992 and remission was granted on August 10, 2022, and the Central government also approved the pre-mature release of convicts.
It is pertinent to note that the remission was not granted under the circular governing grant of remission to prisoners as part of the celebration of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, it said.
The affidavit stated, “State government considered all the opinions and decided to release 11 prisoners since they have completed 14 years and above in prisons and their behaviour was found to be good.”
Gujarat government had granted remission to 11 convicts, who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.
The State government said that in a circular dated July 9, 1992, it had issued a policy for early releasing those prisoners who have completed 14 years of imprisonment who were imposed life imprisonment punishment.
“State Government is empowered to take the decisions on the proposal of premature release of prisoners under the provision of Section 432 and 433 of CrPC. However, considering the provision of Section 435 CrPC, it is indispensable to obtain the sanction of the government of India in cases in which the investigation of the offence was carried out by a central investigation agency. In the present case, the investigation was carried out by the CBI and the state government has obtained the approval / suitable orders of the government of India,” the affidavit said.
It further stated that all the convict prisoners have completed 14 plus years in prison under life imprisonment and opinions of the concerned authorities have been obtained as per the policy of July 9, 1992, and was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India on June 28, 2022, and sought the approval of suitable orders of the government of India.
“The government of India conveyed the concurrence /approval of the Central Government under section 435 of the CrPC for premature release of 11 prisoners vide letter dated July 11, 2022,” it added.
The government also questioned the locus standi of petitioners who filed the PIL challenging the decision saying they were outsiders to the case.
The government has said the plea is neither maintainable in law nor tenable on facts, saying that the petitioners as the third parties have no locus to challenge the remission order. Member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul, social activist and professor Roop Rekha Verma and TMC MP Mahua Moitra had filed pleas against the release of convicts.
Earlier, the top court had issued notice to the Gujarat government and convicts and sought their responses on the pleas challenging remission order. It had also asked the State to file the entire record of the proceedings in the Bilkis Bano case, including the remission order.
The pleas had sought setting aside of order granting remission to 11 convicts and directing their immediate re-arrest.
“It is submitted that it would appear that the constitution of members of the competent authority of the Gujarat government also bore allegiance to a political party, and also was sitting MLAs. As such, it would appear that the competent authority was not an authority that was entirely independent, and one that could independently apply its mind to the facts at hand,” the plea stated.
The plea said they have challenged the order of competent authority of the government of Gujarat by way of which 11 persons who were accused in a set of heinous offences committed in Gujarat were allowed to walk free on August 15, 2022, pursuant to remission being extended to them.
The petition said the case which led to the conviction of the 11 convicts was investigated by the CBI, accordingly, the grant of remission solely by the Gujarat government without any consultation with the Central government is impermissible in terms of the mandate of Section 435 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
The remission in this heinous case would be entirely against public interest and would shock the collective public conscience, as also be entirely against the interests of the victim (whose family has publicly made statements worrying for her safety), the plea stated.
The Gujarat government had released the 11 convicts, who were sentenced to life imprisonment, on August 15. All the 11 life-term convicts in the case were released as per the remission policy prevalent in Gujarat at the time of their conviction in 2008.
In March 2002 during the post-Godhra riots, Bano was allegedly gang-raped and left to die with 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter. She was five months pregnant when rioters attacked her family in Vadodara.
In the exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President appointed Justice DY Chandrachud, Judge, Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of India with effect from November 9, 2022, tweeted Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Justice DY Chandrachud’s formal oath-taking ceremony as the Chief Justice of India will be held on November 9, 2022.
“In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President appoints Justice DY Chandrachud, Judge, Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 9th November, 22,” tweeted Rijiju.
Justice Chandrachud will succeed Justice U U Lalit. Justice Chandrachud will become the 50th CJI and assume office on November 9. Once appointed he will have a tenure till November 10, 2024. Justice Chandrachud is the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court. Justice Chandrachud’s father Justice YV Chandrachud was the 16th Chief Justice of India serving from 2 February 1978 to 11 July 1985.
Justice Chandrachud, born on 11 November 1959, was appointed judge of the Supreme Court on 13 May 2016. He was the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court from 31 October 2013, until his appointment to the Supreme Court.
Justice Chandrachud was the judge of the Bombay High Court from 29 March 2000 until his appointment as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. He had also served as Additional Solicitor General of India from 1998 until his appointment as a judge in the Bombay High Court. He was designated as a senior advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and CBI on a plea filed by senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking a CBI probe into the alleged role of RBI’s nominee directors in bank loan fraud cases.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and BV Nagarathna sought a response from the RBI and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) saying, “We will consider. Issue notice.” The senior BJP leader in his plea stated that the involvement of RBI officials in scams involving various entities such as Kingfisher, Bank of Maharashtra and Yes Bank had not been proven.
“Despite playing a key role in the bank’s allocation of funds to various projects, the Reserve Bank of India nominees have not been touched by the subsequent CBI enquiries that were carried out,” Swamy argued.
He added that there was no explanation for why RBI officials had not been investigated in a single case since 2000.
Swamy sought direction for an investigation by the CBI or any authority that the court decides to examine the role of the RBI and its officials in various banking or financial scams in the country involving public money, which adversely affect the rights of the citizens of this country.
The midnight transfer of senior IPS officer Somnath Gharghe has created a stir among the IPS officers.
In Zone 12, DCP Gharghe has performed exceptionally well in the last one year, solving many cases, arresting dozens of accused but was immediately transferred.
Although he has been made SP in Raigad, but the way his order came out in the middle of the night, there is an atmosphere of fear among the officers.
The Maharashtra government on Friday appointed IPS Officer Somnath Gharge as Superintendent of Police of Raigad district.
The orders were issued by the home department on Friday evening; an official said. He replaces Ashok Dudhe whose next posting was yet to be announced.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted more time to Uttar Pradesh Government to file a reply to the plea filed by Ashish Mishra, challenging the Allahabad High Court order, denying him bail in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
A bench of justices BR Gavai and BV Nagarathna adjourned the matter for further hearing on November 7 as the next date for hearing. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for the petitioner in the matter.
Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, has moved Supreme Court challenging Allahabad High Court which denied bail to him in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case On Tuesday, July 26, the Allahabad High Court denied bail to Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
The bail was rejected by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court. The said order is challenged by Ashish Mishra in the Supreme Court filed through advocate on record T. Mahipal. Four farmers died in the Lakhimpur case, the accused and the accused’s car were present there. This is the biggest fact, this case comes under the category of a heinous crime, said the High Court.
Mishra is facing a case of murder for the incident that took place on October 3, 2021, in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Mishra allegedly ran over the farmers, protesting against the Centre’s three farm Laws. He was arrested on October 9 and granted bail in February 2022. Mishra, again moved to the High Court as the Court’s earlier order was set aside by the Supreme Court in April 2022 and had ordered fresh consideration of his bail plea.
The top court earlier had set aside the Allahabad High Court order dated February 10, 2022, and remitted the matter back to the High Court. The top court had said that the order of the Allahabad High Court could not be sustained and had to be set aside and the bail bonds of the respondent/accused are cancelled.
The Court had directed Ashish Mishra to surrender within a week. Family members of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court order, which granted bail to Ashish Mishra.
In the Special Leave Petition, family members of the deceased challenged the Allahabad High Court order dated February 10, 2022, wherein Ashish Mishra was granted regular bail.
The petitioner said that the Allahabad HC order is unsustainable in law. They also said that they have approached the Apex Court as the State of Uttar Pradesh has failed to prefer any appeal against the impugned order.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had appointed a committee headed by retired Punjab and Haryana high court judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence
