SC notice to centre over Juvenile Justice Act
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the centre on a petition seeking to strike down the provisions of Juvenile Justice Act that bars criminal courts from trying juvenile offenders. An apex court bench of Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice S.A. Bobde issued notice after counsel Aman Hingorani told the court that under sections 82 and 83 of the act, a magistrate being confronted with a juvenile accused only ascertains whether he is above or below 18 years and accordingly remands the matter to the Juvenile Justice Board or the trial court. This protection is provided to the accused aged between 16 and 18. Hingorani said that given the gravity of the offence, the magistrate must go into the mental maturity of the accused and his understanding of the consequences of his criminal act. Hingorani appeared for the father of Dec 16, 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim. Notice has also been issued to the women and child development ministry. The notice came on a day when it was reported that a cabinet note was being readied to amend the law to provide that youngsters aged above 16 who are guilty of heinous crimes be treated at par with adults. (IANS)
Shiv Sena sacks five-time MP Mohan Rawale
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday sacked Mohan Rawale, its senior leader and five-time Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai, for dissidence, a party spokesperson said. The expulsion was ordered shortly after Rawale addressed a press conference in which he launched a no-holds-barred attack on the party leadership and alleged that Shiv Sena was becoming “a party of touts”. The developments came just four days after stern Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray made it clear that all those who did not like his leadership were “free to leave the party”. (IANS)
Tewari seeks white paper on Punjab economy
Ludhiana: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Monday demanded a white paper on the financial situation in Punjab. Quoting news reports in a section of media based on RTI information provided by the state government itself, Tewari pointed out, it is official that the state government has either sold its properties or mortgaged these to get money for its day to day needs. “No government can be run this way”, he pointed out, while expressing serious concern about the financial mess in the state. The Minister, who represents Ludhiana parliamentary constituency, said, it is not a matter of political posturing, but the harsh reality that the Punjab economy is progressively declining and day may not be far when the state goes bankrupt. “The state government needs to act before it is too late”, he warned, while adding, denial mode was no defence. He said that instead of continuously remaining in the denial mode, the state government should produce a white paper on the state of economy and spell out the measures for reviving it. “This government either appears to have given up or is blissfully ignorant about the economic crisis that is staring the state on its face”, Tewari warned, while adding, this may have a cascading effect and the government may not be able to control the situation anymore. (PTI)
3 die in road accident in Mathura
Mathura: Three men on a motorcycle died when an unidentified truck allegedly hit them on the National highway here, police said on Monday. Mukesh (25), Govinda (26) and Amar Singh (35), all residents of Chaumuha town, were returning from Mathura when the truck hit them around 9 PM last night, following which they died on the spot, police said. The errant driver fled with his truck, they said. Meanwhile, relatives of the deceased have alleged that police personnel deployed for checking vehicles threw a stick at the bike, due to which the youths lost their balance and died on the spot. Irate villagers have blocked road since morning, demanding strict action against the policemen responsible for the accident. (PTI)
Woman dies while deboarding from train
Kanpur: A 40-year-old woman slipped while deboarding from a train at the Kanpur central railway station and got stuck in between the platform and train, police said on Monday. Railway officials took over an hour to get her out and she was rushed to hospital, where she allegedly died during treatment due to shock, police said. “Punam was trying to deboard the train before it had come to a complete halt. During this, she lost her balance and fell in the narrow gap between the train and the platform,” station manager R N Trivedi said. The area of the platform where the woman was stuck had to be broken and the steps attached to the rail boggie were also unscrewed to let the women out, he said, adding that the process took over an hour. The victim’s mother and brother were also present on the spot when the incident took place. No bruises were seen on her body but she had fainted due to shock, they said. She was taken to a hospital where she died during treatment, police said. Railway administration is probing the case and has appealed to commuters not to deboard or board from moving trains. (PTI)
Two chimanzees arrive in Mysore
Mysore: Century-old Mysore zoo has added new attractions as two male chimpanzees — Kimoni (six years) and Nkosi (11 years) and four bat-eared foxes arrived from Singapore zoo. The animals arrived here as part of an animal exchange deal with Singapore zoo and kept open shortly for public, Zoo executive director B P Ravi said in a statement here on Monday. He said the female chimpanzee from Singapore zoo is expected to join the two chimps here after some time as it is still nursing its newborn. The animals were brought by air from Singapore to Chennai and were transported by road to Mysore in a special vehicle. This is for the first time that the Mysore zoo is housing bat-eared foxes. As per the agreement signed between the two zoos in February last year, the Mysore zoo agreed to give two sloth bears, a male lion-tailed macaque and two emus in exchange for three chimpanzees, four bat-eared foxes and two meerkats. (PTI)