‘Why do people go out without any work': Lawyer's comment on Madhya Pradesh highway traffic jam puts NHAI in a rough spot
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Hans India
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Manipur HC directs NIA to submit detailed progress report on Jiribam killings
Imphal: The Manipur High Court has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to submit a 'detailed progress report' on the Jiribam killings in November 2024, in which three women and three children belonging to the Meitei community were killed, suspected to be by militants. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kempaiah Somashekar and Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh issued the directive on Monday after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Soram Tekendrajit. 'If the charge-sheet is not filed, this matter should be viewed seriously,' the court order said, expressing concern over the apparent lack of progress in the investigation. The High Court directed the senior Public Prosecutor-cum-Counsel for Government (PCCG) for the NIA, W. Darakeshwor, to submit a detailed progress report in terms of a charge sheet before the concerned court of law. PCCG, representing the NIA W. Darakeshwor, appeared physically before the court. Referring to the November 11, 2024, incident, the division bench of the High Court said: 'An FIR was registered on the same day by the competent authority. However, to date, no progress report has been submitted by the investigating agency under the provisions of Section 167 of the Cr PC, and no charge has been filed in the rank of the authority.' '..... it is deemed appropriate that even though the incident occurred on November 11, 2024, it has been more than seven months. There is no progress report submitted by the NIA represented by W. Darakeshwor. The said counsel in this case seeks a short accommodation on the premises that he wants to submit a detailed progress report in terms of charge sheet,' the court said. The case has been scheduled for the next hearing on July 24, 2025. Three Meitei women and three children, including a 10-month-old infant, were abducted on November 11 last year, allegedly by Kuki militants from the Borobekra area in Jiribam district. The victims' bullet-riddled bodies were later recovered on different dates from the Barak River along the Manipur-Assam border in November. Two civilians were also killed, and several houses were burned during the attack. The November 11, 2024, incident triggered widespread violence in various districts of Manipur, including Jiribam, which shares an interstate border with southern Assam.
Indian Express
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2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case: For how long can a person be kept in jail? asks Delhi HC as accused claims delay in trial
For how long can a person be kept in jail? A Delhi High Court bench orally remarked on Tuesday as it heard the bail plea of one of the accused in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case. The High Court noted that 'five years have gone by', and yet the arguments on the charge remain to be completed. The court was hearing the plea by Tasleem Ahmed, the owner of a coaching centre and a resident of South Delhi's Sangam Vihar. He was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in June 2020 under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. A trial court had refused his bail plea last February, even as Ahmed had sought relief on the grounds of parity, given that three other accused in the same case — Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, and Asif Tanha Iqbal — were granted bail. Taken up by a bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar on Tuesday, advocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for Ahmed, cited a delay in trial for seeking bail. Ahmed has already spent five years in jail, the counsel highlighted. After Ahmed's counsel pointed out that he has not delayed the trial and that he also completed his arguments on the charges in 10-15 minutes within a day, the bench, addressing Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, inquired orally, 'Five years have gone…even arguments on the charge is not 700 witnesses, (for) how much time can a person be kept inside?' The court is due to hear the matter further on Wednesday. Earlier in January, another two-judge division bench of the High Court, while dealing with a bunch of bail pleas of the accused, including student activists Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and others, the bench had orally inquired from the prosecution if only setting up a protest site is enough cause for attracting offences under UAPA. Apart from Ahmed, bail pleas of eight other accused, who have sought bail in the larger conspiracy case, are before the Delhi High Court. They are facing allegations of a pre-planned conspiracy to allegedly cause riots in Northeast Delhi between February 23 and February 25 in 2020. The accused have been booked for offences under the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and have been in jail for over five years now.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
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‘When I arrive in Delhi, I start thinking when I will leave': Pollution levels in Delhi reducing life expectancy of people, says Gadkari
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday that pollution levels in Delhi are reducing the life expectancy of the people of the Capital. 'Main Delhi mein do ya teen din rehta hun… jab aata hun toh sochta hun kab waha se jana hai… Mein pehle ticket jane ka nikalta hun… Aap iss ko gambheerta se lo ki Delhi mein jo pradushan hai uss ke karan aam aadmi ka jeewan kam hota ja raha hai… (I stay in Delhi for two or three days only, and when I arrive, I start thinking about when I will leave. I book my return tickets first. You should take this issue seriously. The pollution in Delhi has led to a decrease in the life expectancy of common people),' he said while taking part in a plantation drive, 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0', at Faridabad-Noida International Airport Road in Gautam Buddha Nagar. Highlighting the alarming levels of pollution in Delhi, Gadkari said: 'The oxygen level here is very high today, and once the airport (Noida International Airport) is built and more vehicles enter this area, the environment could further deteriorate.' 'Safeguarding (the environment) is our responsibility. We are making aviation fuel and I have taken a vow that when the first flight takes off from here, I will be supplying aviation fuel,' he added. 'When I first became minister, India was ranked 13th or 14th globally in the automobile sector. Today, we have overtaken Japan and hold the third position in the world and the automobile sector contributes Rs 22 lakh crore to the economy,' Gadkari said. He added that while this growth has provided employment to over 4.5 crore youths and generated substantial GST revenue, it also poses a serious environmental challenge. Acknowledging that at 40 per cent, the transport sector is the largest contributor to pollution in the country, he said: 'We are number one in pollution too. Hence, our department is committed to mitigating it through plantation and transplantation efforts.' The 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative — a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) campaign — aims to promote environmental consciousness by encouraging tree plantations in honour of one's mother. 'Just as we respect our mothers, we must show the same reverence to Mother Earth. This programme has both cultural and moral significance,' Gadkari said. Speaking about NHAI's efforts to expand green cover, he said: 'NHAI has taken several initiatives for green highways. We have also built a 20-km stretch of crash barrier using bamboo. Now, we do not need permission to fell bamboo… and by planting bamboo, NHAI will earn several crores.' He further said that about 80 lakh tonnes of waste from four Delhi landfills are used for highway construction. 'We have reduced the height of the Ghazipur landfill by 7 m,' he claimed. Gadkari mentioned how Artificial Intelligence was leveraged for the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. He noted that all plants under the campaign will be e-tagged to ensure the long-term care of the trees. 'This will help us to ensure the proper development of a sapling. The world is changing rapidly. If we do not act now, we risk losing the natural life that exists in places like this (Noida). It is our job to protect it,' he added.
