Patna HC refuses to restore membership of 4 rebel MLAs
Patna: In a jolt to four rebel JD(U) MLAs disqualified by the Speaker, Patna High Court today refused to restore their membership of Bihar Assembly, setting aside a single bench order. A division bench comprising justices Iqbal Ahmad Ansari and Chakradhari Sharan Singh set aside the January 16 order of Justice Jyoti Sharan restoring the membership of the four MLAs, saying it found no infirmity in the Speaker’s decision.The four MLAs — Gyanendra Singh Gyanoo (Barh), Ravindra Rai (Mahua), Rahul Sharma (Ghosi) and Neeraj Singh Babloo (Chhattapur) — were disqualified for anti-party activities by the Speaker on the recommendation of JD(U) after allegedly cross-voting during Rajya Sabha elections last year. All the four have been siding with former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in his fight for power with his mentor Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Besides the four, Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary had also terminated the membership of four other members on similar charges and they too have challenged the order in the Patna High Court.(PTI)
Bihar MP’s son, nephew thrashed over parking row
New Delhi: Bihar Jehanabad MP Arun Kumar’s son Rituraj and nephew Rishab were thrashed by their neighbour and his friends over a parking dispute outside their resident in South Delhi, police said on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Manohar Lal, Ramesh and Rajkumar, have been arrested, police said. Rishab said in a complaint that when he and Rituraj returned from Mr Kumar’s official residence in South Avenue to their home in South Delhi on Sunday evening, they found that scooters were parked outside their flat. The scooters were of a guest who had come to their neighbour’s place. Rituraj suffered fractures in his hands while Rishab sustained injuries. Both are in their early twenties. Mr Kumar has alleged the police initially allowed all the accused to run away. (UNI)
Woman trampled to death
Chennai: A 55-year-old woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Bhavanisagar near Sathyamangalam in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu last night.Reports received here said, the woman, K Masathal of Punjai Puliyampatty Village was going to the Goddess Bannari Amman Temple in Sathyamangalam along with her son when the lone tusker trampled her to death,.As the wild elephant was found roaming in the areas, the devotees, who came to the Bannari Amman Temple, staged a road blockade agitation demanding the forest authorities to ensure their safety.On an assurance from the forest department that the tusker would be chased away, the agitators withdrew their agitation. (UNI)
Around 50 arrested for gambling Thane social club
Thane: The city police has arrested around 50 persons in a raid on a gambling den which was being run under the pretext of social club in the Wagle Estate locality.A raid on the Keshava Charitable Trust Club was conducted yesterday by a police team who found the men allegedly playing all kinds of games prohibited under the law, including a game of 13-point rummy with the help of plastic coins, police said today.The arrested included as many as 37 customers and 11 employees of the club, including its owner Babu Salvi.Among those arrested were people from well-to-do families living in various places including Pune, Nasik, Jalgaon and different parts of Mumbai.The police seized materials used for gambling and cash totaling Rs 5.89 lakh from the spot.Offences under sections 4 and 5 of the Bombay Gambling Act have been registered against the arrested accused at the local police station, sources added. (UNI)
25 farmers get 10-yr imprisonment for growing opium illegally
Aurangabad: Twenty-five farmers have been sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment by a court in Beed for illegally cultivating opium. Cultivating opium without licence is an offence under the NDPS Act inviting a maximum punishment of 10 years’ RI. District and Sessions Court judge N S Kolhe of Ambejogai town in Beed held the 25 accused guilty and also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on each of them. However, 13 other farmers were acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence against them. According to prosecution, Shirsala police had raided the fields of 39 farmers in Wanjarwadi, Gholaptanda, Moha and nearby villages in Parli tehsil of Beed district in February 2012 and seized over 27,000 kg of wet opium crop worth Rs 1.36 crore. Subsequently, 38 farmers were arrested and charged under various sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for illegally growing opium in their fields. One of the farmers whose field was raided is still absconding. (PTI)