The glittering event saw Smriti take home the coveted crown, while Vaishnavi Lohni and Aanchal Pharswan were declared first and second runners-up respectively.
The Supreme Court of India has decided to issue a showcause notice to senior advocate Rishi Malhotra, asking why the designation conferred upon him by the apex court should not be revoked. The decision comes in the wake of allegations of misconduct against Malhotra, including suppressing material facts in multiple cases and making misleading statements despite warnings from the court. The full court, convened by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, has decided to give Malhotra one more opportunity to explain his conduct before stripping him of the senior designation. The court has expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the senior designation system and whether it ensures that only deserving advocates are being designated.
Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was summoned as an accused in a coal block allocation case, but the Supreme Court intervened and stayed the directive. Singh, a renowned economist and politician, questioned the absence of mandated sanction for prosecuting public officials and denied any wrongdoing in the coal block allocation. The Supreme Court's decision highlights the complexities of government functions and criminal prosecution in cases involving public officials.
Former union minister Dilip Ray was on Monday awarded three-year jail term by a Delhi court in a coal scam case pertaining to irregularities in the allocation of a Jharkhand coal block in 1999.
The victim, a student of the Maulana Azad Medical College, had been gangraped near the busy Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.
Besides the jail term, the special court also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on Koda and Rs one lakh on Gupta.
Koda, Basu and two accused public servants conspired to favour VISUL in the coal block allocation, the agency alleged.
The court will pronounce the order on quantum of sentence on May 22.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is said to have been examined by Central Bureau of Investigation in the coal block allocation case relating to Hindalco but neither he nor the agency was willing to confirm it.
The court has now fixed the matter for scrutiny of documents on September 29.
The court posted the matter for September 26 after the CBI informed that it was likely to file a supplementary final report in the case by September 22.
The court summoned them as accused for August 3.
The court said that it would now consider the CBI's final report
Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, ex-Jharkhand chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and six others have been chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a coal block allocation scam case.
The FIR relates to allocation of Talabira II and III coal blocks in 2005.
Renowned names from India Inc and politics are chargesheeted by the CBI before a special court in a coal blocks allocation scam case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a progress report of its further investigation in the coal blocks allocation scam case allegedly involving former Coal Secretary P C Parakh, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and others, in a sealed cover before a special court.
A court asked for further investigation into an illegal coalfield allocation case involving Hindalco Industries on Tuesday, rejecting an earlier report from the CBI that said the probe was likely to be closed.
In an apparent U-turn, the Central Bureau of Investigation, which had filed a closure report in a coal blocks case involving industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, former coal secretary P C Parakh and others, on Monday told a special court there was enough evidence against the accused to take cognisance of offences.
Former PM Manmohan Singh moved the SC against a special court order summoning him as accused in coalgate case.
Five others, including one retired and another serving public servant -- K S Kropha and K C Samria -- were held guilty for various offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code.
The Central Bureau of Investigation was on Tuesday directed by a special court to record statements of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was holding charge as Coal Minister in 2005, and others in a coal blocks allocation scam case allegedly involving top industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla.
The agency filed the report before Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar and said that it contains a detailed report of investigation being carried out in the case.
Former coal secretary and four others, including two serving government officials, were on Friday granted bail by a special court in connection with a coal blocks allocation scam case.
Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, ex-Coal Secretary H C Gupta, former Jharkhand chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and six others were on Tuesday ordered to be put on trial by a special court on charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating in connection with a coal block allocation scam case.
The agency said files of the case were sent to competent authority.
The Central Bureua of Investigation sought a maximum of seven years imprisonment for the five convicted persons and imposition of heavy fine on the private firm.
A special court on Friday asked the CBI as to what was the "hurry" in filing a closure report in the coal blocks allocation case in which it had earlier lodged an FIR against top industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and others.
A city court on Wednesday disapproved of the Delhi police's handling of a case lodged in 1996 relating to recovery of explosives against Lashkar-e-Tayiba bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda, saying there was no proper investigation. Additional Sessions Judge Bharat Parashar directed the special cell of the Delhi police to file their written submissions on framing of charges against the accused by June 30, the next date of hearing.
The special court has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation if the then coal minister was examined by it in a coal scam case involving Kumar Mangalam Birla and others.
The CBI opposed the plea seeking summoning of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and two others as additional accused in a coal scam case.
The court fixed the matter for July 28 for order on cognisance.
Dr Singh said he was upset but expressed confidence that truth will prevail in a fair trial.
The judge summoned Birla as one of the accused in the case.
A special court on Thursday refused to accept a closure report by the Central Bureau of Investigation and directed it to further investigate an alleged scam in coal blocks allocation, involving Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, saying he had misrepresented facts in letters written to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Sher Singh Rana, the lone convict in the sensational murder of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi in 2001, was on Thursday awarded life imprisonment by a Delhi court which also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on him.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities.
The CBI on Friday told a special court that former coal secretary H C Gupta had allegedly concealed facts from then prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Rejecting the plea, the court said the application was "vexatious" and it was apparently moved to delay the trial.
This is the first coal scam case in which the special court has delivered its judgement.
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