Latest news with #AkhtarHussain
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Key conspirators arrested in Rs 100 crore Bokaro land grab scam in Jharkhand
RANCHI: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday arrested the key conspirators in the Rs 100 crore Bokaro land scam case - Izhar Hussain and Akhtar Hussain - for the first time. The duo is accused of fraudulently selling 103 acres of forest and revenue land in Bokaro in 2012. According to the CID, the land mafia, in connivance with employees of the zonal office and some officials of BSL, allegedly forged documents to facilitate the illegal sale of government land to private parties. The land originally belonged to Bokaro Steel Plant but was later returned to the Forest Department. The case is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) along with the CID and is currently pending before the Supreme Court. Officials in CID informed that this is the first time that the 'main conspirators' were held in the case. Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta also confirmed the arrests, saying that the matter is quite old, but for the first time the key conspirators have been arrested. 'A land was transferred illegally by making fake documents in Bokaro, in which FIR was lodged by the police which was later taken over the CID. The key conspirators, Izhar Hussain and Akhtar Hussain, who are also brothers, have been arrested from Bokaro and were sent to judicial custody on Saturday,' said DGP Anurag Gupta.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Main conspirators' of Rs 100 crore Bokaro land scam arrested in Jharkhand
Jharkhand's Crime Investigation Department Saturday arrested two prime accused in an alleged Rs 100 crore Bokaro forest and revenue land scam that involved selling acres of government land using forged documents. The suspects have been identified as Izhar Hussain and Akhtar Hussain, who have been accused of illegally selling 103 acres of forest and revenue land in Bokaro in 2012. They have been sent to judicial custody. According to senior officials, this is the first time that the 'main conspirators' were arrested. 'Yes, they are the ones who allegedly created all the fake documents on the basis of which the land was supposed to be transferred to them,' Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta said confirming the arrests. 'This is quite an old issue, but for the first time, the people behind it have been arrested.' According to the CID, the two suspects had made the land over to their names illegally in 2012, but the mutation was cancelled in 2016. In 2018, the Jharkhand High Court stayed the DC's cancellation order but directed the parties to approach a civil court for a title suit. Meanwhile, Izhar and Akhtar 'fraudulently' got the land removed from the restricted land list, then the allegedly created a fake auction document dated 1933 and transferred the land's power of attorney to Patna businessman, who eventually 'sold' it to a company in which his wife is the director. Investigations allegedly revealed that a fake 1933 auction document and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) were allegedly used in the transaction. According to officials, two companies were involved in the alleged deal and that the land changed hands days after the money was transferred to the seller's account. An FIR was lodged in the case in 2024. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate, which is also probing the alleged scam, conducted searches at 16 locations across Jharkhand and Bihar in April. Among the places raided were some government offices as well as the premises of one of the two companies. The ED's 2022 probe had allegedly revealed that the forest land in Tetulia was wrongly recorded as barren land in 2013 and that fraudulent sales were executed based on that. Shubham Tigga hails from Chhattisgarh and studied journalism at the Asian College of Journalism. He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India. Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Two Chandigarh Police sub-inspectors charged in 2023 corruption case
The CBI court of special judge Alka Malik on Friday framed corruption charges against two Chandigarh Police sub-inspectors (SIs) arrested in a bribery case in 2023. The court indicted SI Akhtar Hussain and SI Krishan Kumar, stating that a preliminary case exists for offences punishable under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in conjunction with Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Both accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial after being served with the charge sheet. The court adjourned the proceedings to September 9, 2025, for the commencement of the trial and recording of evidence. According to the chargesheet, the CBI apprehended SI Akhtar Hussain, who was then stationed at the Sector 17 police station, and SI Krishan Kumar, who was serving with the economic offences wing (EOW), in October 2023. The arrests followed allegations that the officers demanded a ₹5 lakh bribe from a local resident in exchange for assisting his relative in a GST fraud case. The CBI's investigation revealed that the two policemen were handling the GST fraud case and allegedly solicited the bribe to favour the complainant, Ram Mehar Sharma's relative. The bribe amount was later reportedly reduced to ₹2.5 lakh. Upon receiving the complaint, the CBI set up a trap at the EOW office. However, Inspector Krishan Kumar evaded the authorities and fled with the bribe money. He was subsequently arrested after his anticipatory bail application was denied by the court. A hidden camera and voice recorder were reportedly used during the complainant's interaction with the inspector at the EOW office.
Express Tribune
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
JCP member steps down in protest
Akhtar Hussain a senior Supreme Court lawyer who represents the bar at the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP)has resigned as a member of the commission, citing concerns about "controversies surrounding judicial appointments". Hussain, who was nominated thrice by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) to the JCP, submitted his resignation to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, who also heads the commission. His two-year term at the JCP was going to end in July 2025. In his letter, he expressed dissatisfaction with the process adopted for elevation of six more judges to the apex court. "On present controversies with regard to judicial appointments, I am unable to continue and, hereby, resign as a member of the JCP," he wrote, requesting the PBC to nominate a new representative in his place. Hussain, however, assured his continued support for judicial independence and democratic institutions. The resignation came shortly after the JCP appointed six new judges to the SC, a move that sparked criticism from some legal and political circles. Talking to The Express Tribune, Hussain raised questions about the recent appointments in the superior courts. He said nothing had changed in the appointment process after the 26th Constitutional Amendment. "Earlier, chief justices had a dominant role in the appointment process and now the executive has taken over the control of the commission. Hussain lamented that no effort is being made to develop consensus on nominees. "A committee should have been formed to shortlist the judicial candidates on merit and evolve consensus among the JCP members. Instead of taking decisions on merit, decisions are being taken on the basis of majority during the JCP meeting," he added. It is learnt that a PBC meeting is scheduled for February 26 to nominate a new bar representative for the JCP. It is likely that Ahsan Bhoon will be nominated as the new JCP member. According to sources, the Independent group which is majority in the superior bars was upset with Akhtar Hussain due to his decision to oppose the proposal regarding the elevation of two Lahore High Court (LHC) judges to the apex court. He had also expressed concern about the transfer of LHC's Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar to the Islamabad High Court. He had also dissented to the elevation of Justice Aamer Farooq to the SC until a judicial decision on the seniority of IHC judges. After the JCP meeting of February 10, Hussain had no choice but either to follow the group's guidelines or tender his resignation. However, lawyers who are critical of the 26th Constitutional Amendment believe that damage has already been done as 43 judges have been appointed to superior courts. The JCP by a majority vote had selected eight judges for the constitutional bench (CB) of the SC. The judge, who was number 9 on the seniority list of the Sindh High Court, was nominated as head of the CB. Akhtar Hussain had supported all these JCP decisions, which badly damaged the independence of the judiciary. PTI lawmakers and two senior Supreme Court judges had boycotted the February 10 JCP meeting, raising questions about its transparency.
Express Tribune
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Judicial commission member steps down over appointment 'controversies'
Listen to article Senior Supreme Court advocate Akhtar Hussain has resigned from his position as a member of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), citing concerns over controversies surrounding judicial appointments. Hussain, who was nominated thrice by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), submitted his resignation to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, who heads the commission. In his letter, he expressed dissatisfaction with the recent selection process for Supreme Court judges. "On present controversies with regard to judicial appointments, I am unable to continue and, hereby, resign as a member of JCP," he wrote, requesting the PBC to nominate a new representative in his place. Despite stepping down, Hussain assured his continued support for judicial independence and democratic institutions. The resignation comes shortly after the JCP appointed six new judges to the Supreme Court, a move that sparked criticism from some legal and political circles. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers and two senior Supreme Court judges boycotted the process, raising questions about its transparency. Earlier this month, the Judicial Commission sought nominations from high courts across the country, asking for lists of five senior judges from each. However, disputes over seniority and transfers—particularly in the Islamabad High Court (IHC)—led to internal dissent. A group of IHC judges formally challenged the revised seniority list, arguing that a recently transferred judge should be placed at the bottom of the list instead of being considered for immediate promotion. Hussain's departure is the latest challenge for the 13-member Judicial Commission, which was restructured under the 26th Constitutional Amendment to include four lawmakers. The commission, chaired by the chief justice of Pakistan, is responsible for appointing judges to the Supreme Court, high courts, and Federal Shariat Court. The resignation has reignited debates over the independence and transparency of judicial appointments in Pakistan. Legal experts and bar councils have long called for reforms to the process, arguing that it needs to be more structured and merit-based to uphold the credibility of the judiciary. Earlier, Opposition Leader Omar Ayub—who was among four lawmakers nominated as JCP members—also tendered his resignation, further highlighting the growing tensions within the commission. With Hussain's exit, the Pakistan Bar Council is expected to nominate a replacement in the coming days. Meanwhile, the controversy over judicial appointments is likely to remain a contentious issue within Pakistan's legal and political landscape. Moreover, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association had filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court last week, challenging the president's authority to transfer judges without public interest justification. This marks the second major challenge to judicial transfers in recent days. Filed under Article 184(3) by Bar President Riasat Ali Azad, the petition contends that the president does not have unlimited powers under Article 200(1) of the Constitution to reassign judges between high courts. It argues that judicial transfers should only occur in the public interest. The petition follows a similar move by five judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) have filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, challenging judicial transfers and their impact on seniority. The 49-page constitutional petition, filed under Article 184(3) through senior lawyers Munir A. Malik and Barrister Salahuddin, argues that the President of Pakistan misused Article 200(1) by overriding the Judicial Commission's authority in transferring judges.
