Month: May 2024

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed the bail petitions moved by Manish Sisodia, Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi in liquor policy cases.

Sisodia had sought bail in cases being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Sisodia has been in custody since February 26, 2023, after arrest by the CBI. Thereafter, he was arrested by the ED.

The bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma pronounced the order and said the case at hand is of grave misuse of power and aim was to create policy that is beneficial to some and kickbacks could come in.

Meanwhile the Court had allowed to continue to meet Manish Sisodia to meet his ailing wife under custody once in a week.

Corruption in this case originated with Applicant’s desire to design a policy that is beneficial to some individuals.

Court also observed that Applicant Manish Sisodia had invovled himself in the destruction of evidence and hence the possibility of tampering of evidence cannot be ruled out. He held 18 portfolios and was also a senior leader of AAP and Deputy CM, hence, he is very powerful.

Prosecution has made out a prima facie case of money laundering.case involves great misuse of power by the applicant Manish Sisodia. This deceptive Act was a calculative move by him. Tempering can’t be ruled out if Manish Sisodia is out on bail. Many crucial witnesses in the case are public servants and possibility of influencing can’t be ruled out, said the court.

Earlier, appearing of Manish Sisodia, Senior Advocates Mohit Mathur and Dayan Krishnan referred Supreme Judgement stating that accused can’t be incarcerated prolonged and the right to speedy Trial is the fundamental right. Lawyers also raised questions over ED’s conduct in delaying the trial.

On April 30, the Rouse Avenue Court had dismissed the bail petitions of Sisodia for the second time in the case and said, “…This court is not inclined to admit the Applicant to Bail, either regular or interim, at this stage. The application under consideration is accordingly dismissed,”

Trial Court judge said, “It is apparent that the Applicant individually, and along with different accused have been filing one or the other application/making oral submissions frequently, some of them frivolous, that too on a piecemeal basis, apparently as a concerted effort for accomplishing the shared purpose of causing delay in the matter.”

The court also added that the period of incarceration of Benoy Babu and that of the applicant (Manish Sisodia) cannot be equated, particularly in view of the findings in the preceding paragraphs of this order that the applicant himself has attributed to the slow pace of the proceedings of the case.

Sisodia has been in custody since February 26, 2023, after arrest by the CBI. Thereafter, he was arrested by the ED. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS Leader K Kavitha were also arrested in the excise policy case.

The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval.

The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies said.

As per the allegations, the excise department had decided to refund the earnest money deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules.

Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19, the probe agency said and there was an alleged loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer.(ANI)

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Bollywood actor Aparshakti Khurana, known for his wit and humor, recently delighted fans with a fun video that blends motivation and entertainment, encouraging his followers to hit the gym with a positive attitude.

The ‘Stree’ actor, on Monday, took to his Instagram account to share the hilarious video.

In the video clip, Aparshakti appears to be flying like a butterfly on his way to the gym.

The actor achieved this effect by recording himself hopping multiple times and then combining the snippets to make it look like he was soaring through the air.

At the end of the video, Aparshakti reaches the gym and starts his workout.

The text on the video reads, “The butterfly in me just going to the gym on Monday.”

Soon after the actor shared the video, fans chimed in the comment section.

One user wrote, “@aparshakti_khurana hahahahahah this is too funny.”

Another user commented, “cardio before strength training.”

“Omg koi hume bhi motivate kar do gym jane k liye,” penned a third user.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Aparshakti will be next seen in director Amar Kaushik’s much-awaited horror comedy sequel Stree 2 alongside Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi and Abhishek Banerjee. The film will be hitting the big screens in August this year.

Apart from Stree 2, the actor also has a spy-thriller film Berlin, which revolves around a deaf-mute man who gets arrested for being a spy and a comedy-drama film Badtameez Gill alongside Vaani Kapoor, Paresh Rawal and Sheeba Chadha. (ANI)

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Actor Jackie Shroff, who is busy shooting for his film ‘Singham Again’, has expressed his gratitude to the Jammu and Kashmir government for their unwavering support to the film industry professionals who visit the UT for shooting movies and other projects.

“The people here are incredibly helpful and kind, and the administration is very supportive,” said Jackie Shroff while praising the hospitality and seamless cooperation he received during his time in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The way this place is beautiful; the same way your people are beautiful. It was a lot of fun. You have handled so much. And film support, police support, army support, people’s support, everyone’s support. And it was nice to see so many tourists. Everyone enjoyed. The people here also enjoyed it. We enjoyed it the most. We love you very much,” he added.

Recently, Arjun Kapoor, who is all set to play the antagonist has wrapped up his part in the upcoming film.

Arjun took to Instagram to share this news with his fans. He also posted a photo with Rohit Shetty.

Along with the post, he wrote, “Rohit Shetty ke cop universe ka villain !!! I have wrapped up my work on ‘Singham Again’ !!! My 20th film & one of the biggest milestones of my career with a director who is the boss of MASS CINEMA!! I feel blessed to be a part of one of the most entertaining franchises in Indian cinema. Can’t wait for our hard work to light up the silver screen soon !!!

“Wrapping up my part of the shoot for my 20th film & a mass entertainer like ‘Singham Again’ feels like a significant achievement in my journey as an actor. This is the stuff you dream of when you watch masala films growing up!!! Working alongside Rohit Shetty sir has been an absolute privilege.”

Arjun said he is eagerly awaiting the audience’s response to the movie.

“To see him & his team mount this mega film day in & day out makes you feel proud of being a part of this journey. Together with him & his team we’ve poured our hearts and souls into this project, and I’m eagerly anticipating the moment when audiences get to experience this powerful story we’ve created on the big screen. Stay tuned for an exhilarating cinematic ride!”

Helmed by Rohit Shetty ‘Singham Again’ also stars Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles. ‘Singham Again’ is the third instalment of the super-hit franchise. ‘Singham’ was released in 2011, starring Kajal Aggarwal and Prakash Raj in lead roles, followed by ‘Singham Returns’ in 2014. Both projects were declared box office hits.

‘Singham Again is scheduled to have a theatrical release in August 2024, coinciding with Independence Day. (ANI)

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly saying that those who are supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are “Pakistanis”. The AAP chief asked Shah not to “abuse” the people of the country and instead abuse him.

“Yesterday Amit Shah came to Delhi. There were less than 500 people at the meeting. And he started abusing people in the country continuously. Amit Shah said that Aam Aadmi Party supporters are Pakistani,” Kejriwal said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Kejriwal pointed out that since people in Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat have voted for the AAP in large numbers, all of them are Pakistanis as well.

“I would like to ask them that people in Delhi voted us to power with 62 seats and 56 per cent vote share. Are people from Delhi Pakistanis? In Punjab, people voted us to power in 92 out of 117 seats. Are the people of Punjab Pakistanis? The people of Gujarat have given us 14 per cent votes. Are people of Gujarat Pakistani. People of Goa loved us and trusted us. Are they Pakistanis?” the AAP chief questioned.

“In Panchayat and Municipality elections in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and in several parts of the country, the Aam Aadmi Party has got elected as Panch, Sarpanch, Municipal Mayor, Councillors. Are all of them Pakistanis? What are you talking about?” he added.

Despite various denials from the BJP, Kejriwal once again alleged that PM Modi was going to name Amit Shah as his successor and urged him not to become arrogant.

“The Prime Minister has chosen you as your successor. You have turned so arrogant at this that you have started abusing and threatening people! You have not become the PM yet. And you have turned so arrogant,” he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister said that Shah will not be the Prime Minister because the Bharatiya Janata Party will be losing the Lok Sabha polls.

“I would like to inform you that you are not becoming the PM. That is because, on June 4, people are not voting for the BJP. The BJP is on its way out, you should stop being so arrogant and stop abusing people,” he said.

“You have enmity with me. Abuse me but not the people,” Kejriwal further suggested.

Kejriwal further asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that he should focus on the enemies within his party instead of abusing him.

“Yesterday Yogi (Adityanath) came to Delhi as well. He has also abused me. Your enemies are in your party. What will you gain by abusing me? PM and Amit Shah have planned to remove you from the Chief Minister’s post. You should fight against them,” the Delhi Chief Minister said. (ANI)

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Following the tragic demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday afternoon, heads of the three branches of the Iranian government have agreed on a date, June 28 for snap presidential elections in the country, Press TV reported.

The date was confirmed during a meeting held at the Presidency Office in Tehran, Press TV reported citing IRNA news report.

The meeting was attended by Iran’s Head of the Executive Branch Mohammad Mokhber, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i.

This session marked the second meeting between the three officials within hours following President Raisi’s tragic death in a helicopter crash incident in East Azerbaijan province.

As per Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution, the country’s top three officials are mandated to arrange presidential elections within 50 days following the death or incapacitation of the incumbent president.

According to Press TV, the meeting which was held on Monday witnessed the presence of the Iranian deputy president for legal affairs Mohammad Dehghan, deputy chairman of the Guardian Council Siamak Rahpeykand, and deputy interior minister for political affairs Mohammad Taghi Shahcheraghi.

A timetable was set for the elections, allowing hopefuls to register from May 30 to June 3, with candidates launching their campaigns for 15 days starting June 12.

The helicopter carrying Raisi and his entourage crashed around afternoon on Sunday as it was on its way to Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan, from a location on the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan where the Iranian president had opened a major dam project.

Rescuers found the wreckage of the helicopter early on Monday after hours of extensive search, which involved more than 70 teams.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and two senior provincial officials along with crew members and bodyguards also died as a result of the crash.

Following this, country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has announced five days of national mourning in Iran, according to Press TV.

Khamenei declared the same in a message on Monday, and stated that he received the “bitter news” of the death of his “companions with great sorrow.”

“Dear Raeisi did not know fatigue,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that the Iranian nation lost a sincere and valuable servant in this tragic incident, according to Press TV. (ANI)

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Following outrage over BJP leader Sambit Patra’s remark that “Lord Jagannath is Modi’s bhakt”, for which he announced to undertake a penance by observing fast for three days, 5T Chairman and BJD leader VK Pandian said that the former should take care and eat properly because of prevailing heat and dust.

Pandian’s statement comes after, BJP leader and party’s Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra clarified that his remark was a “slip of the tongue”, and also announced to undertake penance by observing a fast for three days from Tuesday.

Referring to this, Pandian in an interview with ANI, said, “I think he should take care, there is too much heat and dust. He should eat properly and take care. Three days before elections, he should not faint. He is a doctor, he should know what to do.”

Asked about whether the BJD will escalate this issue, Pandian said that the BJD never believes in doing politics over religion, especially Lord Jagannath who is the symbol of Odisha identity.

“Lord Jagannath can never be escalated and Lord Jagannath should always be above everything else. BJD never believes in politics over religion, especially Lord Jagannath who is the symbol of Odisha’s identity,” he said.

He further said that Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik has always felt that we should keep our God outside politics.

“I think whatever the time lag was there many people have their comments on social media that it had hurt the sentiments of people of Odisha and BJP is talking about Odiya. Lord Jagannath is the symbol of Odiya. Chief Minister has always felt that we should keep our God outside politics. They are immortal and we are mortal. Why we should mix both? So he felt hurt when this statement happened,” the BJD leader said.

Hitting out at the BJP, Pandian said that Lord Jagannath has been dragged into politics so much in this election which is not fair. People of Odisha don’t like dragging religion or Lord Jagannath into politics.

“They have been harping on Odiya and Navin Patnaik is genuinely upset. Lord Jagannath has been dragged into politics so much in this election which is not fair. People of Odisha don’t like dragging religion or Lord Jagannath into politics. You say that you’ve done this work, we have reduced the price of rice, we’ve done great infrastructure, we’ve provided jobs and go for vote. Why do you have to drag the Lord for elections, that shows that you’re a little desperate,” he said.

Patra landed in controversy on Monday after he told a local news channel that “Lord Jagannath is a devotee (bhakt) of PM Modi.” He later described it as a “slip of the tongue.”

Prime Minister Modi held a roadshow in the holy city of Puri on Monday morning along with BJP candidate Sambit Patra and addressed two public rallies later in the day.

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The counting and results will be declared on June 4. (ANI)

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar is being taken to Mumbai by Delhi Police for investigation in connection with the Swati Maliwal assault case.

Delhi Police had earlier mentioned in the Tis Hazari Court that they would take Kumar to Mumbai to the place where he had allegedly formatted his phone.

The police said that this sequence of recreation of crime is important to understand whether the alleged formatting was done to destroy crucial evidence from Kumar’s phone.

Kumar’s custody with the Delhi Police will be expiring on Thursday. Based on their findings, the Delhi Police will either seek more time in remand or invoke Section 201 in the matter, police sources said.

Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) penalizes people for destruction of evidence of a crime.

Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the Swati Maliwal case. The SIT is headed by North Delhi’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Of Police (DCP) Anjitha Chepyala who has been handling the investigation. Three Inspector-rank officers are also included in the SIT, which includes the officer of Civil Lines Police Station where the case was registered.

This comes a week after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP accused party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s former personal secretary Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her at the Chief Minister’s residence.

Earlier on Monday, the Delhi Police took Bibhav Kumar to the drawing room of Kejriwal’s residence on Monday where Kumar had allegedly assaulted Maliwal, to find out details about the sequence of events that took place on the morning of May 13.

The police noted down the answers to all their questions sequence-wise, mapped them and took photographs of the crime scene where the hour-long crime took place, officials said.

Bibhav Kumar has lodged a counter-complaint with the police on Friday, accusing Maliwal of gaining ‘unauthorised entry’ into the CM’s Civil Lines residence and ‘verbally abusing’ him. (ANI)

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday took a jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and called him a “shameless person” for not resigning after going to jail.

The official X handle of the office of Amit Shah, in a series of tweets, targeted Arvind Kejriwal and quoted the Union Home Minister as saying, “I have never seen a shameless person like Kejriwal. Laluji (Former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav) went to jail after resigning due to corruption. Jayalalithaa (former Tamil Nadu CM Jayaram Jayalalithaa) went to jail after resigning and other ministers also went to jail after resigning. He is one such leader who went to jail but did not leave the post of Chief Minister.”

Amit Shah attacked Aam Aadmi Party national convener while addressing a public rally in South Delhi as he campaigned for BJP’s party candidate Ramvir Singh Bidhuri.

Claiming that the BJP will win all seven seats in Delhi, Shah said, “Kejriwal ji, you are sitting on the chair after sticking Fevicol on it. BJP is going to win all seven seats on the 4th. This fevicol will come off.”

Attacking the Delhi government sarcastically, Shah said, “This Kejriwal government is a 3G government. The first G is for scams, the second G is for bribery, and the third G for fraud.”

He added, “Kejriwal, who called himself a staunchly honest man, is today walking on the path of staunch dishonesty.”

In another post, the X handle of the Office of Amit Shah quoted the Home Minister speaking about the eight scams of Delhi Chief Minister, which includes Rs 2,875 crore liquor scam, Rs 78 thousand crore water board scam, Rs 5 thousand crore classroom construction scam, Rs 1000 crore fake medicine scam, Rs 4 thousand crore lab X-ray scam, Rs 1,850 crore panic button scam in vehicles, Rs 1000 crore bus purchase scam, and Sheeshmahal worth Rs 125 crore.

Shah said, “Kejriwal ji, only the liquor scam has been investigated so far, investigation of seven scams is still pending.”

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case linked to a money laundering case.

Arvind Kejriwal had received a big relief from the Supreme Court, which on May 10 had granted him interim bail till June 1 in the excise policy case. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Dutta granted the Delhi Chief Minister interim bail. (ANI)

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Four Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists who were arrested in Ahemdabad earlier today wanted to teach a lesson to Jews, Christians and members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad on Monday.

The Gujarat ATS said that, as per the examination of the recovered items from the four ISIS terrorists belonging to Sri Lanka, it has been revealed that there is evidence showing their commitment to “join the proscribed terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS), follow the path shown by Abu Bakr Baghdadi and teach a lesson to the attackers who commit atrocities against the Muslim community, as well as to teach a lesson to Jews, Christians and members of the BJP-RSS”.

The four accused have been identified as Mohamed Nusrath, Mohamed Faris, Mohamed Rasdeen and Mohamed Nafran. “All are citizens and residents of Sri Lanka,” ATS said.

The Gujarat ATS added that recovered items also revealed that four ISIS terrorists had conspired to carry out a terrorist attack at some place in India under the banner of the Islamic State (IS) and they would arrive in Ahmedabad.

“Mohamed Nusrath is also holding a valid visa of Pakistan,” the anti-terror agency added.

A pink parcel containing pistols, ammunition, and one black-coloured flag was also recovered from their possession.

Gujarat DGP Vikash Sahay said that these four terrorists had boarded an Ahembdabad-bound flight from Chennai. “The arrests were made after analysing the information and list of passengers coming from south”.

“All four of them are completely radicalised by the ISIS ideology and they are going to come to India to commit a terror attack. As per the information, they were going to reach Ahmedabad on May 18 or 19 either by railway or flight. Teams were formed and strategy was created based on the information received. Passenger lists of trains and flights coming from the south were analysed. All 4 of them were travelling from Chennai to Ahmedabad on the same PNR no. through an Indigo flight. Verification was done in Colombo too for confirmation,” Gujarat DGP said. (ANI)

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