A Delhi court acquitted social activist Medha Patkar in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi L-G V K Saxena, citing a lack of evidence from the prosecution.
The panel, headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, had called Patkar to hear her views on the implementation and effectiveness of the land acquisition law enacted by Parliament when the Congress-led UPA government was in power in 2013.
A Goa court granted bail to two managers of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub arrested in connection with the fire that killed 25 people. Bail was granted with conditions, including not leaving India without permission and cooperating with the investigation.
Social activist Medha Patkar was arrested in New Delhi on Friday for failing to furnish probation bonds in a 24-year-old defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The arrest comes after a court granted Patkar a one-year probation in April, but she failed to comply with the order to furnish bonds.
'I dreaded meeting him these days because every time he'd say: We have to fight this government, even if it means going to jail.' 'He'd been in jails run by the British, he'd also been in jails in independent India, now he was ready to go to jail under this government.'
Rediff.com's Hitesh Harisinghani joins the Patkar family as they say goodbye to Lord Ganesha.
Under the relevant law, the activist may get a jail term of two years or fine or both as the punishment.
The court sentenced Patkar after considering the evidence before it and the fact that the case went on for over two decades.
'Arundhati Roy is like a ballerina performing on a high wire, cool, supremely at ease but conscious of all the adoring eyes on her,' notes P Vijaya Kumar.
Thane and Palghar districts in India experienced heavy rainfall, leading to road closures and the evacuation of residents from vulnerable areas. The rising water levels of the Ulhas River prompted authorities to close the Raite bridge on the Kalyan-Murbad road, diverting traffic via Titwala. In Ambernath, 50 residents were evacuated from Swabhiman Chali near the Ulhas river. Waterlogging was reported in low-lying areas of Kulgaon-Badlapur. Officials are monitoring the situation closely and urging timely reporting of incidents.
The probe agency, while seeking Patkar's custody, also told the court that an offence of such magnitude was not possible without the "explicit complicity of senior functionaries" of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
A special court in Mumbai denied bail to businessman Sujit Patkar, an aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, in the alleged COVID treatment centres scam. The court found that Patkar played with the "life of people" by under-deployment of doctors and staff to generate proceeds of crime. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that Patkar's firm, Lifeline Hospital Management, fraudulently obtained a contract for supplying medical staff at Dahisar and Worli Jumbo Covid facilities during the pandemic, resulting in the generation of proceeds of crime (PoC) amounting to Rs 32.44 crore. The court noted that there are ample statements of the witnesses to show that a list of more staff members was prepared than being deployed on the instructions of Patkar.
Saxena, who became the Delhi LG in May 2022, is an accused, along with three others in a case of alleged attack on Patkar for opposing the Narmada dam project.
As per the complaint, cash worth more than Rs 1.5 crore, whose audit for withdrawal and expenditure remained unclear, has been recovered during the probe.
Patkar, talking to reporters, said that she wanted to meet the family members of Swain, but a section of locals claimed that the team of activists was there to seek feedback from them about the JSW project.
After discussions Behar offered Patkar lemon juice to end her hunger strike in support of the Sardar Sarovar Dam affected persons.
Miffed over the show-cause notice, the Narmada Bachao Andolan leader, a veteran of many agitations across the country, called it an attempt to target activists.
She was on an indefinite fast since February 21 to protest against the Maharashtra government's policy on slums.
A product of the 1942 Quit India movement, a Gandhian and a Socialist who remains closely connected with grassroot movements, Dr G G Parikh remains a familiar figure in Maharashtra.
Delhi faces a severe financial crunch and the deficit is largely due to numerous welfare schemes without adequate revenue flowing in. The success of welfare schemes and electoral promises will need careful financial planning and out of the box thinking to whip up additional revenue, notes Ramesh Menon.
In a boost to Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party in Maharashtra, social activist Medha Patkar on Monday extended her "complete" support to the fledging party.
Quite a few film folk and politicians attended the funeral of veteran actor Atul Parchure, who died on October 14 after a long battle with cancer. He was 57.
She termed ouster of Yadav and Bhushan from the party's national executive as 'not justifiable, questionable and condemnable'
The Maharashtra government has accepted five of activist Medha Patkar's demands pertaining to slum rehabilitation projects in Mumbai. But a majority of the residents of Golibar slum feel that they are victims of Patkar's agitation. N Ganesh reports
Patkar has been on fast for the last eight days protesting the government's move to raise the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam and demanding rehabilitation for the people displaced by the project.
Patkar has broken her fast after the order, one of her aides told PTI.
For someone who is such an indefatigable litigant, what is stopping Mr Saxena from using the law to depose Mr Kejriwal? Maybe we will get the answer after May 25, notes Aditi Phadnis.
Patkar vomited on the fifth day of her indefinite fast, but refused any medical check-up when a government doctor's team met her.
The police stopped Patkar and informed her that she could not proceed to Dhar, but as she refused to relent, she was placed under arrest.
'In this assembly election, Muslims here will vote for one who works, but also one who safeguards their identity.' 'Their existence is more important they feel, than a faulty light meter. So yes, a Muslim representative will make a difference.'
Bhagwatibai Patidar, who had began her fast with Patkar, continued to refuse food for the 10th day today.
Two more NBA activists - Jamsing Nargavekar and Bhagwati Patidar - who too had been on fast with Patkar, also ended their strike.
They were protesting against the demolition of slums by the Brihanmumbai\nMunicipal Corporation.
Terming the recent calamity in Uttarakhand as a man-made disaster, activist Medha Patkar has said it is time to rethink the concept of development. "This disaster has been caused by unplanned development. It is the result of mindless misuse of the state's natural resources. The dams, barrages and tunnels built in the name of hydel projects have impacted the course of the rivers which led to the tragedy," Patkar said.
All of them, including Patkar, were taken to hospitals by the administration, police said.
A local court in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday granted bail to social activist Medha Patkar and 17 of her supporters arrested earlier for protesting against the upcoming Pench river project in the district. She has been released from jail.
The chargesheet against the associate of Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut was submitted before the court's registry and it will come up before the special judge for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after scrutiny of papers.
Social activist Medha Patkar's interference in a slum redevelopment scheme at Golibar slum in Mumbai's Khar (West) suburb on Monday evoked protests from the nearly 4500 families residing in 45 cooperative housing societies scheduled for redevelopment in the area.
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