
Delhi High Court grants bail to 2 accused in 2023 Parliament security breach case
The Division Bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Iyer granted relief on the condition that Ranolia and Kumawat will not give interviews, attend press conferences, or send posts on social media, and should report to their local police station three times a week. They were also instructed not to leave Delhi.
The two have also been instructed not to leave Delhi.
The security breach took place on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, when the accused allegedly launched coordinated gas attacks, both inside and outside Parliament, during the Zero Hour on December 13, 2023.
While two of the accused jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery and opened smoke canisters that released yellow gas, outside the Parliament premises, two others — Amol Shinde and Neelam Azad — sprayed coloured gases from canisters while shouting 'tanashahi nahi chalegi (dictatorship won't be allowed)'.
Six accused were later arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA and the Indian Penal Code by the Delhi Police Special Cell.
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NDTV
33 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Irrational": Delhi Lt Governor Slams Order On End-Of-Life Vehicles
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Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- Indian Express
As Punjab's AAP govt weighs death penalty for sacrilege, a look at previous Bills with harsh punishment
The AAP-led Punjab government is exploring options to legislate capital punishment for sacrilege. It is the third successive government to introduce legislation providing for harsh punishment for sacrilege, and the new Bill, expected to be tabled in a special Vidhan Sabha session on July 10 and 11, will be harsher than its predecessors. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been proposing the death penalty for anyone guilty of sacrilege. The government is seeking a legal opinion on whether it can propose the death penalty for sacrilege. If the government gets the go-ahead, the Bill will propose capital punishment for sacrilege during the Assembly's two-day special session. The AAP government wants to table a 'historic' piece of legislation in the Assembly with the harshest punishment ever proposed by its predecessors. The Bill will be in line with provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), while the earlier Bills were proposed insertions in the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. The Centre has returned the previous Bills as they sought amendments to the IPC and the CrPC, while the country's criminal law framework has shifted to the BNS, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). During Amarinder's tenure as chief minister, the Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed the Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018 and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018, which stipulated punishment up to life imprisonment for injury, damage or sacrilege to the Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwat Gita, Quran and the Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people. The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018 sought to amend the IPC by inserting section 295AA, under which a convict was to get a maximum of three years' imprisonment with or without a fine. It also enhanced the punishment under IPC section 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) from two to 10 years of imprisonment. In March 2016, the SAD-BJP government brought in the Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2016 and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2016, recommending a life sentence for the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib only. The Centre, however, returned the Bill saying all religions should be treated equally given the secular nature of the Constitution. It added that it could not single out one religion and propose life imprisonment for the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. It asked the Punjab government to either withdraw the Bill or include all religions in the proposed amendment. The state government argued that the Guru Granth Sahib is not a holy book but a live Guru, unlike the scriptures of other religions. In October 2015, during SAD-BJP rule, an alleged instance of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari changed the political narrative in Punjab. It was felt that the quantum of punishment for sacrilege as per the provisions of sections 295 and 295 A of the Indian Penal Code was too inadequate. Also, the government move comes at a time when the health of a protester who has been demanding harsher punishment while sitting atop a BSNL tower in Samana since October 2024, is deteriorating. Concerns are mounting that if something happens to Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, the protester, it would trigger a political storm and create a law and order situation. There has been a debate that sacrilege laws could send wrong signals as such harsher punishment could embolden politicians and police to misuse them to harass critics. The Centre has asked the state to reconsider these Bills. Against the backdrop of this debate, it remains to be seen if the state government is able to propose the death penalty for sacrilege.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
LS Speaker, Union Ministers and MPs pay floral tributes to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his birth anniversary
Lok Sabha Speaker and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Om Birla paid floral tributes at the portrait of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee in Samvidhan Sadan on his Birth Anniversary on Sunday. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers JP Nadda; Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw; Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh; Members of Parliament, former Members, and other dignitaries also paid floral tributes to Dr Mookerjee on this occasion. According to a release, the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, Utpal Kumar Singh, and the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha, PC Modi, also paid floral tributes to Dr Mookerjee. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en Ituzaingó (ver precio) Verisure Más información Undo A booklet containing Dr Mookerjee's profile, published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat in both Hindi and English, was presented to the dignitaries attending the function. Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee (1901-1953) was a distinguished Indian politician, barrister, educationist, and social reformer. In 1934, he became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta at the age of 33. Live Events Dr. Mookerjee played a vital role in providing humanitarian relief during the Bengal famine in 1943. He also served as India's first Minister for Industry and Supply. He also laid the foundation for India's industrial development by establishing three major public sector undertakings, Chittaranjan Locomotive Factory , the Sindri Fertiliser Corporation, and the Hindustan Aircraft Factory (now Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ). A staunch advocate of national unity, his legacy is defined by his unwavering commitment to education, nationalism, and the vision of a united and strong India. The portrait of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee was unveiled by the then President of India, R. Venkataraman, in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan (erstwhile Parliament House ) on May 31, 1991, in recognition of his outstanding services to the nation.