Foreign contributions to Cong, BJP matter of public interest: HC
Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Monday termed the foreign contributions to the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other political parties as a matter for a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The petition filed by social activist and member of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Nutan Thakur, sought to enquire into the sources of foreign contributions to Congress, BJP and other parties. A 2-judge bench comprising Justices Devi Prasad Singh and Ashok Pal Singh said this matter is not only related to the petitioner, but has a wider public realm and hence permitted the PIL. They directed the matter would be heard on November 20 by the PIL bench. The petition called the Home Ministry’s action against ‘AAP’ one-sided, because on October 26, 2012, Dr Thakur had sent a complaint to the Home Ministry regarding the Election Commission directive to probe the alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) by Congress and BJP by receiving donations of about Rs 5 crore each from Vedanta Group subsidiaries — Sterlite Industries and Sesa Goa — but no action had been taken so far on these complaints. Hence, she prayed for the enquiry to cover all political parties, including Congress and BJP as regards every foreign contribution received by them. (UNI)
Locals beat Nigerian in Goa
Panaji: A Nigerian was beaten up by locals for allegedly intimidating a woman after an accident Saturday in Goa’s party hotspot, Candolim. But no complaint has been registered yet, a police spokesperson said here on Monday. Eye-witnesses said the Nigerian was driving a scooter in the coastal beach village of Candolim, 15 km from here, when it collided with another two-wheeler being driven by a woman. While the two were engaged in a verbal spat, several locals arrived on the spot and beat up the Nigerian national. Police spokesperson John Aguair confirmed the incident, but said no record was available with the police as no complaint had filed in this regard. “It happened after a motor vehicle accident. There was commotion. But no complaint was registered from either side,” Aguair told IANS. The incident comes at a time when relations between Nigerians living in Goa and local residents and the state police machinery are at their worst, after a public conflict last month. The murder of the Nigerian and alleged police apathy had resulted in the Nigerians blocking a major highway and publicly intimidating the police. At the fag end of the protest, one Nigerian was severely beaten up by the locals who went on a rampage. A police crackdown on Nigerians had also caused a diplomatic tussle between Nigeria and India. (IANS)
SC notice on commuting death sentence
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the centre and the home ministry on a petition challenging former president Pratibha Patil’s decision commuting the death sentence of five people convicted of child rape to life imprisonment. Senior counsel S. Naphade, appearing for petitioner Pinki Virani, told an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam: “The Supreme Court has itself laid down parameters under which death penalties are awarded. These are crimes of extreme brutalities. How can article 72 be exercised to commute the death penalty to life imprisonment?” Article 72 of the constitution empowers the president to commute a death sentence to life imprisonment. Virani is an author who has extensively written on child abuse in India. (PTI)
Doda district officials booked for running gun licence racket
Jammu: Several Doda district officials have been booked by the Jammu and Kashmir’s Crime Branch for their alleged involvement in a fake gun licence racket. According to a crime branch spokesman, the involvement of some officials and staff members at the office of the district magistrate in the racket came to light after the department on November 11 received a sealed packet containing 80 gun licences and the Gun Licence Issue Register. The register contained details of people to whom gun licences have either been issued or are yet to be issued under the seal and signature of the District Magistrate. Suspicion grew after crime branch officials found that some of the pages in the register and a few licences carried no other details except the signature and seal of the District Magistrate, which appeared to be fake and fabricated too, the spokesman said. It is clear that a huge racket is being run by some officials of the Doda District Magistrate’s office, he said. A case has been registered and investigations are going on the case, he added. (PTI)
HC to hear death confirmation of a labourer on December 2
Mumbai: Maharashtra government on Monday asked a labourer who raped and killed an 8-year-old girl and dumped her body in Yeoor Hills in Thane in 2009 whether he wished to file an appeal against the lower court order which had awarded him death penalty after the high court had fixed to hear a state plea for confirmation of the death sentence on Dec 2. Convict Shekhar Gupta, who is lodged at Pune’s Yerawada Central Prison was communicated through a letter issued today by public prosecutor of the Bombay High court, asking his wish to file an appeal against his sentence and if he required an advocate, it would be arranged by free legal aid department of the state government. A sessions court at Thane had sentenced Gupta to death in May this year for the offence. As per law, the state has to get the death sentence confirmed from the High court. So, even if the convict does not file an appeal, the High court hears the government’s confirmation case as an appeal.
Gupta’s death confirmation was listed in the court during which judges asked additional public prosecutor Mankunwar Deshmukh to question Gupta about the appeal and appointment of an advocate. (UNI)