The Bombay High Court's Goa bench has criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) for rejecting voter registration forms (Form 8s) during a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The court emphasised that the ECI's primary objective is to ensure citizens can cast votes and that rejecting forms, even if incorrectly submitted, goes against this principle. The case arose from a petition by a family whose names were deleted from the voters' list after their Form 8s for address change were rejected.
Six US Democratic lawmakers, including Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar, have urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address alleged excessive force during student protests in India and concerns over voter purges during his upcoming visit. They also accused Indian diplomatic missions of surveillance of protesters in the US and called for investigations into human rights violations and potential arms sales implications.
The Bombay High Court's Goa bench has ruled that draft electoral rolls cannot be the sole basis for deleting names from voter lists, asserting that administrative software cannot supersede statutory laws. The court questioned the Election Commission of India's authority to delete voters without a hearing, highlighting concerns over the ERONET system's limitations and its potential to disenfranchise citizens.
The Election Commission has removed an additional declaration related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) from the online voter enrolment Form 6 in states where the SIR process is complete. This decision follows internal objections from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi regarding changes to the form and the process. The EC maintains the declaration was SIR-specific and not an amendment to Form 6 itself.
The Supreme Court stated it has not approved any modifications to Form 6, used for electoral roll inclusion, during the Special Intensive Revision. This observation came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging alleged unilateral decisions by the Chief Election Commissioner regarding changes to Form 6 and electoral roll revisions in states like Goa and West Bengal, without the concurrence of his colleagues. The court issued notice on the plea, highlighting concerns over collective decision-making within the Election Commission.
A special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district has sentenced all 10 convicts in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack to death. The attack, which occurred on May 25, 2013, resulted in the deaths of 29 people, including prominent Congress leaders.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar shared his childhood dream of dismissing legendary West Indies all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers, whom he idolised as 'everybody's hero', during a conversation celebrating Sobers' life and legacy.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh has accused the Congress and its allies of attempting to instigate a 'Bangladesh-like regime change' in India, leveraging youth energy for political confrontation and anarchy, rather than constructive nation-building.
Police in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, have initiated proceedings to attach the properties of three absconding accused, Satyam Kadiyan, Aryan Sandhu, and Rahul alias Bholu, in the murder case of Haryanvi singer Ankit Balyan. The accused, all from Haryana, each carry a reward of Rs 1 lakh. Balyan was shot dead on August 26, and two alleged shooters were later killed in a police encounter.
Delhi Police has denied permission for a protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, leading to the closure of 11 metro stations and heightened security. Various political parties and student unions are demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have strongly criticised the Centre's security measures in New Delhi, including metro and train cancellations, ahead of their planned protest at Jantar Mantar. They accuse the government of imposing an "emergency" and being afraid of Gen Z, while demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities. The Supreme Court has intervened, directing authorities to ensure regulated movement.
A special court in Pune has allowed the prosecution to conduct a test identification parade of the accused in the sexual assault and murder case of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur village. The court also ordered a medical examination to assess the accused's mental fitness. Charges are likely to be framed on May 28.
A POCSO court in Assam's Dhubri district has sentenced Utpal Roy to death for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in 2023. The judge cited the 'rarest of rare' category for the capital punishment.
The Election Commission replaced the inspector-in-charge of Nandigram police station, Ajay Kumar Mishra, with Debashis Sarkar a day before the bypoll, following complaints from opposition parties alleging Mishra's closeness to the ruling party. This move comes amidst heightened political scrutiny and concerns raised by opposition leaders regarding the fairness of the election process in Nandigram, a constituency with significant political history in West Bengal.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against FIITJEE and its directors, Dinesh Kumar Goel and Monila Goel, on money laundering charges. The case involves the alleged misappropriation of over Rs 85 crore collected from students for coaching programmes. The ED seeks their conviction under the PMLA and confiscation of properties worth Rs 71.88 crore.
'The remaining 30% are scared they will be shot at and they too will shell out the money soon.'
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of acting as a 'weapon' for the ruling BJP, while MNS leader Raj Thackeray demanded the cancellation of Maharashtra's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, amidst a large protest march in Mumbai.
The INDIA bloc, comprising 17 opposition parties and civil society members, met at Rahul Gandhi's residence to strategize against alleged "vote chori" and the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site. Leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Tejashwi Yadav, vowed to continue their united political and people's resistance, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and asserting that those responsible for undermining democracy would be held accountable.
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has moved the Supreme Court to intervene in a significant case concerning the interpretation of legislative privileges of MLAs and their impact on freedom of speech. A seven-judge Constitution bench will hear the matter from October 6. Kamra's involvement stems from privilege proceedings against him in the Maharashtra Assembly over his comedy special. The case also revisits a 2003 matter involving journalist N Ravi, highlighting conflicting views on whether fundamental rights override legislative privileges.
The Supreme Court has expressed concern to the Election Commission regarding the "almost mechanical" issuance of notices under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Delhi, urging additional safeguards and clarification on "logical discrepancy" criteria. The court is hearing a petition challenging the EC's process, which has seen millions of voters receive notices, raising practical difficulties and concerns about potential disenfranchisement.
Actor Imran Khan, an American citizen, has been served a notice by Mumbai Police directing him to leave India by October 28 for allegedly violating immigration laws. This comes after his participation in recent political protests. His lawyer plans to challenge the decision in the Bombay High Court.
The Calcutta High Court has appointed a retired judge as a special officer to manage the day-to-day expenses of the Mamata Banerjee-aligned Trinamool Congress (TMC) from three debit-frozen bank accounts. The accounts were frozen following a complaint by a rival TMC faction alleging they held proceeds of crime. The court allowed transactions for party expenses and legal costs, noting that the initial freezing lacked specific material basis and that the complainant had previously benefited from these accounts.
The US Department of Justice has initiated its largest denaturalisation effort in modern history, targeting 40 individuals for various serious offences, including fraud and espionage. Among those facing citizenship revocation is Balwinder Singh of California, accused of using a fraudulent identity, and Jinchao Wei, a former US Navy sailor convicted of espionage for China.
The high court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has set aside the discharge of an accused in a UAPA case stating that secessionist sloganeering in a mob in the presence of the head of a banned separatist organisation prima facie falls under the definition of unlawful activity.
Akash Ambani is leading Jio Platforms' initial public offering (IPO), set to be India's largest, with a strategy that includes appealing to regional investors and drawing parallels to his grandfather Dhirubhai Ambani's historic public listing of Reliance Industries.
Prashanth Rajan Babu, the alleged kingpin of an interstate counterfeit drug racket, has been arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after absconding in Azerbaijan. He is accused of leading a network that refilled cheap drugs and relabelled them as premium brands, with drugs worth Rs 5 crore seized earlier.
The Supreme Court has granted the Centre a final opportunity to present measures taken to prevent the circulation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material on social media platforms, following a petition highlighting inconsistent compliance by intermediaries.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed that Rs 860-Rs 880 crore generated from an alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh during the previous Congress regime was delivered to the Pradesh Congress Committee office in Raipur. The agency filed a supplementary chargesheet against former PCC treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal and provisionally attached his properties worth Rs 9.06 crore. The ED alleges a liquor syndicate controlled the state excise department, generating over Rs 2,883 crore in illegal proceeds.
The CBI has filed its 21st chargesheet in an alleged homebuyer fraud case related to the 'Acme Boulevard' housing project in Mumbai. Five former promoters/directors of Acme Realties Private Limited and Acme Housing India Private Limited are accused of inducing homebuyers through false assurances and fraudulent representations. The agency is also investigating 32 other similar cases involving various builder companies and financial institutions.
A Delhi court has permitted seven foreign nationals, including American mercenary Matthew Aaron Van Dyke and six Ukrainians, arrested in an alleged drone-warfare training camp case probed by the NIA, to travel to their home countries for a month after being granted default bail.
The Calcutta High Court's division bench set aside a single-bench order that had granted interim protection to Congress' Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan from coercive action in a 2007 criminal case. The court ruled that there is no provision in criminal law for such interim protection, meaning Pradhan's judicial remand will remain effective ahead of the bypoll.
The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti has appealed to Ganesh mandals in Mumbai to ensure that immersion processions on the final day of the festival are free from noise pollution and inconvenience, citing the Bombay High Court's strict stance on decibel limits.
Police in Bengaluru have arrested Balasubramanian, a partner in DM Pharma, in connection with an interstate counterfeit drug racket. This arrest follows the apprehension of alleged kingpin Prashanth Rajan Babu. The Special Investigation Team is probing the supply chain, financial transactions, and distribution channels of fake medicines worth nearly Rs 5 crore, which were being relabelled as premium brands.
A special court in Thane, Maharashtra, acquitted three women accused of trafficking girls for prostitution due to the prosecution's failure to examine key witnesses and provide sufficient evidence.
The Supreme Court has noted that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged embezzlement at the Ram temple in Ayodhya identified 105 instances of unauthorised currency removal from the counting room. While no discrepancies were found in valuable articles like silver bricks, eight accused have been identified, and a chargesheet is expected soon. The investigation involved examining CCTV footage, financial records, and witness statements.
The Supreme Court is set to hear pleas challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's alleged unilateral decisions without the concurrence of other election commissioners. The petitions seek his suspension and question actions like altering voter registration forms and handling electoral roll revisions in Goa and West Bengal, highlighting concerns over the multi-member character of the Election Commission.
From Shahid to Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, these films bring real-life lawyers, landmark courtroom battles and extraordinary fights for justice to the screen.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal announced that the INDIA bloc will stage a major protest in Delhi on Monday to protect voting rights, following meetings with the President and a planned meeting with the Chief Justice of India. He accused PM Modi and Amit Shah of attempting to protect Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and criticised the Centre for denying an AIIMS facility to Keralam despite past assurances. Venugopal affirmed the bloc's commitment to ensuring free and fair elections and expressed hope for AIIMS if they come to power.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the opposition amidst ongoing protests for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and scrapping of SIR. Shah predicted a "crushing defeat" for the Congress in the 2029 general elections, citing the BJP's and NDA's strong public support and the Congress's dismal performance in recent bypolls and local body elections across several states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tripura. He urged the Congress to introspect instead of engaging in "negative politics" and "fabricated media events."
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has returned to Sunaria jail in Rohtak after his 21-day furlough concluded. This marks his 17th temporary release since his 2017 conviction for rape. Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence, recently saw acquittals in two separate 2002 murder cases by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
