SC refuses to give early hearing against HC judge
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to give an urgent hearing on PIL seeking judicial inquiry into a complaint of a woman judge of Gwalior who accused a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge of sexually harassing her. A bench headed by Chief Justice R M Lodha questioned the locus of the petitioner, a lawyer, in the case and said that matter would be taken up in due course when it is listed for hearing. The petitioner, M L Sharma sought lodging of an FIR and probe against the High Court for allegedly harassing a Additional District and Session judge of Gwaliar who quit judicial service. The PIL also sought suspension of the judge of the Gwalior bench of the high court, who had allegedly sexually harassed the woman judge, during the pendency of the inquiry. “To appoint a judicial inquiry by this court itself consisting justices of the Supreme Court in the impugned scenario for further action/prosecution in accordance of law /IPC as well as within the directions issued in the Vishakha judgement to provide complete justice to the petitioner,” the petition said. (PTI)
Badaun gangrape accused clear lie-detection test: CBI
New Delhi: CBI on Wednesday said the lie-detection test of the five accused arrested in connection with the Badaun gangrape case did not find “any deviation” from their earlier claim of innocence. “No deviation has been found in the statement of the five accused who had been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police,” a senior CBI official said here. The five — Pappu, Awadhesh and Urvesh Yadav (brothers) and constables Chhatrapal Yadav and Sarvesh Yadav — whose custody was taken by CBI after registering a case in June this year had been claiming innocence over the charges of rape, murder and destruction of evidence slapped against them. “The statement of five accused persons claiming innocence was found to be correct in the polygrahic examination,” the official said, adding the probe would continue. Two cousin sisters were found hanging from a tree in Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh in the last week of May this year, an incident which had sparked national outrage with the Samajwadi Party government in the state coming under fire on the issue of law and order situation. (PTI)
No fixed tenure for public sector chiefs: government
New Delhi: The government said Wednesday it had taken no decision to give a fixed tenure to CMDs or functional directors of public sector undertakings even by extending their service. Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh gave this information in the Lok Sabha. He said in a statement that functional directors were appointed on the board of public sector undertakings for five years or till the age of superannuation, whichever was earlier. If the initial tenure of five years of an incumbent ends prior to his attaining the age of superannuation, the term could be extended till the day of superannuation, the minister said. This would be subject to the officer meeting the prescribed performance benchmark and on being clear from the vigilance angle, Jitendra Singh said. “There is no decision of the government to give a fixed tenure to chairman-and-managing director or functional director of any public sector undertaking even by allowing them to continue beyond the age of superannuation,” he said. (IANS)
30 ragging cases reported in 2014-15
New Delhi: Thirty cases of ragging have been reported across the country in the current year, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said Wednesday. “There have been 30 reported ragging cases so far (2014-15) in the country. No case of loss of life/injury has been reported this year,” Irani said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. She added that ragging cases have decreased due to the collective efforts put in by the government and other stakeholders. “No suicide case due to ragging has been reported so far,” she said. As part of the efforts to curb the menace of ragging, every college has an anti-ragging cell. It is also mandatory for every student and parent to submit an anti-ragging affidavit. (IANS)
4 of a family perish as fire guts hut
Tiruchirappalli (TN): Four members of a family, including two children, were charred to death when a fire gutted their hut in the wee hours on Thursday. 45-year-old Murugan, his 35-year old wife and their daughters — aged seven and three — were fast asleep when the mishap occurred at Edamalaipattipudur, police said. However, his eldest daughter (9) escaped as she was sleeping in her grandmother’s house located nearby. According to investigations, Murugan’s wife had cooked food using firewood outside the hut last night and went to sleep without extinguishing the embers, which had sparked the fire aided by strong wind early this morning, police said. The thatched roof of an adjacent house was gutted in the fire which also claimed the lives of two cattle in front of the hut, police added. District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan visited the spot. Fire and Rescue Service personnel doused the flames in an hour-long operation and retrieved the bodies. (PTI)
Gurudwara row: HSGMC members clash with police in Kurukshetra
Chandigarh: Members of newly formed HSGMC on Wednesday clashed with police who resorted to lathicharge after they “forcefully” tried to take control of a gurdwara in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district where Amritsar-based SGPC task force personnel were gathered in large numbers. As tension escalated, Police said at least five cops were injured in the violence and that the situation was brought under control within half-an-hour after the clashes erupted. “As members of HSGMC made a forceful attempt to enter gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, police used water canons, tear gas shells and cane charge to disperse the agitated members,” Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Ashwin Shenvi said. “Police personnel were targeted by HSGMC members after they were stopped from marching towards the gurdwara… they pelted stones on security personnel and also indulged in scuffle,” he said. The situation is tense, but under control, he said, adding that a heavy police deployment had been made to prevent any untoward incident around the Sikh shrine. Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) Vice President Didar Singh Nalwi on his part alleged that police used force on members of the newly formed body without any provocation. “Several HSGMC members were injured and some vehicles too were also damaged as HSGMC members were chased away by police,” he said. (PTI)