There is no direct evidence of corruption against Prime minister Manmohan Singh, Prashant Bhushan, activist Arvind Kejriwal's aide and senior Supreme Court advocate, admits in an exclusive interview with rediff.com's Onkar Singh.
A contemnor can be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend up to six months or with a fine of up to Rs 2,000 or with both.
Fresh controversy dogged Team Anna on Saturday as Anna Hazare's former blogger made public a blog, which was kept under wraps to blunt the Gandhian's claim that he had not spoken to him about re-organising his core team.
Expressing surprise over political parties not coming forward in filing objections related to 65 lakh excluded voters, the top court directed the chief electoral officer of Bihar to implead them in the court proceedings.
Two youths, who escaped after attacking lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan, were arrested in New Delhi on Thursday morning, said the police. Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga and Vishnu Verma were apprehended from a place near Baba Kharak Singh Marg, they said. Bagga had on Wednesday said he would surrender in a local court. One Inder Verma, who claimed to be the president of the Delhi unit of Sri Ram Sene, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the incident.
Aam Aadmi Party founder-member Shanti Bhushan has created a flutter by praising Kiran Bedi and calling Bharatiya Janata Party's move to field her as a "masterstroke" while claiming "everything is not right" in AAP.
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a PIL alleging that Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu awarded government contracts to his family members. The court has asked the state government to provide details of the beneficiaries and inform if due process was followed. The bench also sought responses from union ministries of home affairs, finance and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the issue within five weeks.
Bhushan, who deposited the fine with the apex court Registry over his two tweets seen as contempt of court, said that he has received contributions from several corners of the country for paying the fine, and a 'truth fund' will be created out of such contributions to provide legal aid to those who are prosecuted for dissenting opinions.
The Supreme Court will hear on February 19 pleas challenging the appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners under the 2023 law. The court will take up the matter on a priority basis, after some urgent listed matters. The government has appointed a new CEC and ECs under the new law, which excludes the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel, despite a 2023 Supreme Court verdict directing the inclusion of the CJI in the panel. The petitioners argue that the exclusion of the CJI undermines the independence of the election commission.
The Delhi police on Monday told a court that its prosecution branch has not given any legal opinion for lodging a criminal case against key erstwhile Team Anna member and lawyer Prashant Bhushan for allegedly supporting plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.
Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, an Allahabad High Court judge, is set to appear before the Supreme Court Collegium to explain his controversial statements made at a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) function. The Supreme Court has sought a report from the Allahabad High Court after news reports surfaced regarding Justice Yadav's remarks, which were widely condemned as "hate speech". The judge's statements, made at a VHP event, sparked outrage from various quarters, including opposition leaders and lawyers. The Bar Association of India has also condemned the judge's remarks and called for an apology.
The Supreme Court has adjourned pleas challenging the appointments of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (ECs) under the 2023 law. The court indicated the matter would be listed after the Holi festival break due to a paucity of time. Petitioners, including the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, argued for an urgent hearing, emphasizing the importance of the issue and the potential impact on democratic processes. The appointment of the new CEC and ECs under the 2023 law, which excludes the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel, has been a point of contention, with petitioners alleging it undermines the independence of the election commission.
It will be court's opinion versus the legislative power to enact law, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said as it posted the pleas challenging the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners under the 2023 law on February 4.
Anna Hazare is not allowed to take any decisions or lead the anti-corruption movement as some members of his core team "control" and "exploit" him, his former blogger Raju Parulekar has alleged.
'He was the best court craftsman that I have ever seen who could modulate his arguments in accordance with the judge and the mood.'
The NGO challenges the validity of a provision of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.
Chandrakant Khaire, the Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP from Aurangabad in Maharashtra, in a letter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has raised concerns about the leaking of an 'unofficial version' of the Supreme Court's judgment in the 2G spectrum case order announced February 2 and the media reporting incorrect facts based on that version.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Prashant Bhushan had made no reference to referendum on security forces in Naxal-hit areas, the party's leader Yogendra Yadav said.
The Supreme Court will hear a plea seeking an independent selection process for the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on March 17. The PIL, filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, argues that the current system of appointment solely by the executive and the prime minister violates the Constitution and undermines the CAG's independence. The petition calls for a transparent process involving the prime minister, Leader of the Opposition, and Chief Justice of India. The PIL contends that the CAG's role as a watchdog over government finances requires a fair and non-arbitrary appointment procedure.
Light a candle to their memory, to show their families and the world that we care. To show that we will not forget, nor will we forgive.
Under fire for his remarks on army deployment in Jammu and Kashmir, Aam Aadmi Party leader Prashant Bhushan on Monday sought to wriggle out by saying any reference to referendum should not misconstrue to mean plebiscite on Kashmir's relationship with India.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday deprecated the practice of announcing freebies prior to elections, and said people were not willing to work as they were getting free ration and money.
The Supreme Court of India expressed concerns about the long-term sustainability of providing free rations to migrant workers, emphasizing the need for job creation and capacity building instead. The court's remarks came during a hearing on the ongoing issue of providing relief to migrant workers, a matter that gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court questioned the government's reliance on freebies and stressed the importance of creating opportunities for migrant workers to become self-sufficient. The debate highlighted the challenges of balancing immediate relief with long-term economic solutions for vulnerable populations.
The Supreme Court of India has asked petitioners in two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) to make representations to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding their demand for uploading polling booth-wise voter turnout data on the ECI website. The PILs, filed by TMC MP Mahua Moitra and NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, seek a direction for the ECI to upload the data within 48 hours of the conclusion of polling in Lok Sabha and assembly elections. The ECI, represented by senior advocate Maninder Singh, expressed willingness to deliberate on the matter and suggested a meeting with the petitioners to address their concerns. The court has adjourned the hearing to the week of July 28.
Swarajya Abhiyan has been campaigning on varied issues, ranging from agriarian crisis to corruption.
All 26 victims were men.
A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra, which on July 22, had issued show cause notice to Bhushan after initiating the criminal contempt against him for his two alleged derogatory tweets against the judiciary, had reserved the verdict on Wednesday.
As AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal returned home late on Tuesday evening, it was left to senior advocate Shanti Bhushan to go to Tihar jail and convince the jailed leader to sign the personal bail bond to walk out of prison.
Bhushan said that "after abusing" and "orchestrating" a physical attack by his MLAs in the NC meeting, Kejriwal wants them "Back!, Hypocrite Shameless!"
A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to cancel licences and not to grant new ones to Indian firms exporting arms and other military equipment to Israel, which is fighting a war in Gaza.
Prashant Bhushan has opposed the selection of K V Choudary as the next CVC, by a committee headed by PM Narendra Modi, alleging that he was "tainted" and not a proper choice for the post.
Bhushan, who has already deposited Re 1 as fine with the apex court's registry on September 14, has filed two separate review petitions in the contempt case. The first review plea on September 14 had challenged the August 14 verdict convicting him for the contempt of court, while the second plea has been filed against the August 31 sentencing order which imposed the fine.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, who were on a collision course with party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, were on Wednesday voted out of Political Affairs Committee of the party, which has been rocked by dissidence in recent days.
The Supreme Court on Monday referred to a five-judge Constitution bench a batch of pleas challenging the validity of the electoral bond scheme for political funding of parties.
According to the police, Biswas is a jeweller who allegedly bought the medal.
Aam Aadmi Party dissident leader Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday rubbished criticism by former AAP spokesperson Atishi Marlena that he backed out of the reconciliatory talks with Arvind Kejriwal camp on his father Shanti Bhushan's insistence, saying the negotiations collapsed due to "trust deficit".
Justice Vishwanathan said he was in "the Common Cause (the NGO which had filed the PIL in coal scam cases). This case was of the ED (Enforcement Directorate), but still...".
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticized the government's decision to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in the middle of the night, arguing that it is "disrespectful" and "discourteous" given the ongoing Supreme Court challenge to the selection process. Gandhi presented a dissent note to the selection committee, stating that the process violates the Supreme Court order and undermines the integrity of the electoral process.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday pledged to protect the rights of 'eligible candidates' who lost their jobs after a recent Supreme Court verdict, evoking mixed responses from the affected teachers, thousands of whom turned up to hear the leader speak but remained dangling between hope and despair after she finished.
A group of people on Wednesday attacked the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad with bricks and stones apparently to protest party leader Prashant Bhushan's remarks on Kashmir.
