Page 3 - Courts

UK court to rule on Mar 26 whether Assange can challenge extradition to US

A London court is due to rule whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets one final appeal in England to challenge extradition to the United States on espionage charges. Two judges are scheduled to issue a judgment Tuesday morning in the High Court that could put an end to Assange's long legal saga or extend it further. If he fails in winning the right to appeal, his legal team fears he could be swiftly sent to the U.S. to face charges, though they're likely to ask the European Court of Human Rights to block any transfer. Assange, 52, has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website's publication of a trove of classified U.S. documents almost 15 years ago. American prosecutors allege that Assange encouraged and helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published. During a two-day hearing last month, Assange's lawyers argued that he was a secrecy-busting journalist wh

Pakistan court orders to produce Imran Khan and his wife on April 4

Imran Khan has been booked in two cases at Loohi Bheer and Sahala police stations during the party's long march in Islamabad. Judicial Magistrate Ayesha Kundi acquitted him in both cases

Court extends interim bail to Supertech chairman in money laundering case

The plea stated that Arora was admitted to Fortis Hospital, Noida on March 10 and was diagnosed with 'Systemic Hypertension, Coronary Artery Disease and unstable angina'

Excise policy scam case: Kejriwal moves sessions court challenging summons

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved a sessions court here challenging the summons issued to him by a lower court on two complaints filed by the Enforcement Directorate for evading its summons in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal is likely to hear Kejriwal's applications later in the day. Kejriwal moved the sessions court against orders passed by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra, who has directed Kejriwal to appear before the court on March 16. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed two complaints before the magisterial court seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for skipping multiple summons issued to him in the case. The latest complaint pertains to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor not honouring summons number four to eight sent by the federal probe agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED said. The ED had earlier moved the ...

Contempt plea filed in Pak court over not naming 'chowk' after Bhagat Singh

A contempt petition was filed in a Pakistani court on Friday against the Punjab provincial government and the district administration for not naming the Shadman Chowk in Lahore after Indian Independence war hero Bhagat Singh. The petition, which was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) by Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation chairman Advocate Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi, seeks contempt proceedings against the Punjab Chief Secretary, Lahore Deputy Commissioner and the city administration for violating the order of the court that had directed naming the Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh. Talking to PTI, Advocate Qureshi said that the LHC in 2018 had ordered the government to name the Shadman Chowk after Singh where he was hanged in 1931. "But both the provincial and district governments deliberately did not comply with the court's order and this committed contempt," he said. He said the court is likely to take up the petition on Monday. Singh fought for the independence of the subcontinent from

2020 Delhi riots case: Karkardooma Court acquits 7 men accused of vandalism

The court also said that even the identity of the mob behind the incidents was not established. Allegedly, there were two mobs from two communities

There can't be automatic vacation of stay orders of courts: Supreme court

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that there cannot be an automatic vacation of stay orders granted by a lower court or high court in civil and criminal cases after six months. A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud did not agree with its 2018 judgement which had held that there should be automatic vacation of stay orders of the courts below unless they are extended specifically. Laying down guidelines, the judgement also said the constitutional courts, the Supreme Court and the high courts should refrain from fixing a timeline for disposal of cases and it can be done only in exceptional circumstances. The bench pronounced two separate but concurring judgements. "The constitutional courts should not lay down a timeline to decide cases since grassroot issues are known to concerned courts only and such orders can be passed in exceptional circumstances only," said Justice A S Oka. "There cannot be an automatic vacation of stay," said Justice Oka, who

Can courts modify/junk arbitral awards? Here's what experts have to say

Experts say the SC verdict regarding the modification of the arbitral award could be a double-edged sword

Fali S Nariman: A fearless advocate with unmatched eloquence and tenacity

The illustrious career if Nariram, a stalwart in the field of law, spanned several decades, leaving an indelible mark on India's legal landscape

Court issues summons to brewery, its MD, 8 others in money laundering case

A special court here has issued summons to Jogeshwari Breweries Private Limited (JBPL), its managing director and eight others in a money laundering case related to allegedly obtaining a loan of more than Rs 83 crore from United Bank of India through forgery. Special judge M G Deshpande hearing cases filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on February 17 took cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet against 10 accused in the case, including JBPL's managing director Umesh Shinde. The prosecution's complaint also demonstrates such trail of money, its siphoning off by way of placing, layering and integration, the court said. Hence, prima facie there is ample material and evidence to hold accused for proceedings against them for offence punishable under relevant provisions of the PMLA, the court said while issuing summons to the accused. The accused have been asked to remain present before the court on March 1. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) ...

Delhi court denies statutory bail to Sharjeel Imam in sedition case

A court here on Saturday dismissed the plea of student activist Sharjeel Imam seeking bail on the grounds that he had been in custody for the last four years, which was more than half of the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence. The court directed to continue Imam's custody, saying the present case was "different" from other cases because of the nature of allegations against Imam and his "disruptive activities which finally resulted in the riots". Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing Imam's plea seeking bail under 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), saying he was in custody since January 28, 2020, while the maximum sentence for the offence under section 13 (punishment for unlawful activities) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is seven years, if convicted. According to Section 436-A CrPC, a person can be released from custody if he has spent more than half of the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence. "Keeping in view the alleged acts

2020 Delhi riots: Court convicts son of rioting charges, acquits father

A court here has convicted a man of unlawful assembly and arson charges in a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, while acquitting his father of all alleged offences. Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing a case against Jony Kumar and his father Mitthan Singh, who were accused of being part of a riotous mob that torched two houses in the Khajuri Khas area here on February 25, 2020 during the communal riots. "Accused Jony Kumar is held guilty and convicted for the offences under sections 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with the intent to destroy house etc.) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), read with section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC, and under IPC section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant)," the judge said. In an order passed on Wednesday, the judge acquitted Singh of "all the charges levelled against him". The court rejected the defence counsel's argument ..

Jailed ex-Pak PM Imran Khan gets bail in military installation attack cases

The court said there was no justification to keep Khan, 71, under arrest as all accused in May 9 cases were on bail

PMLA court extends ED custody of former CM Hemant Soren by 5 days

A special PMLA court on Wednesday extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand of former chief minister Hemant Soren by five days in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam, lawyers said. Soren, JMM executive president, on February 2 was remanded to five days' ED custody by the special PMLA (The Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court which ended on Wednesday. "The ED had prayed for seven days of remand which we objected saying no further remand is required because he has already been interrogated for eight hours on January 20 and another eight hours on January 31," Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan, who appeared for Soren, told reporters. Apart from that, he has already been interrogated for 120 hours in five days. "So, there is no need for any further remand. But they have tried to expand this scope of investigation beyond the predicate offence matter. We have been saying that they (ED) have no power and jurisdiction to investigate anything beyond the predicate

Delhi cops on alert after court allows Hindus to offer prayers at Gyanvapi

The advisory stated that some elements might try to dissipate the atmosphere. The advisory also warned all the police stations to watch the activities of those involved in major protests

Donald Trump's sweeping immunity claim rejected by US appeals court

"We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter," the unanimous panel wrote

Delhi court extends Sisodia's custody, allows him to visit ailing wife

A court here on Monday allowed senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, arrested in a Delhi excise policy case, to visit his ailing wife once a week while in custody. Special judge M K Nagpal also extended the judicial custody of Sisodia till February 22 after he was produced before the court on the expiry of his remand granted earlier. The judge passed the order while adjourning his bail application in excise policy-related cases filed by the CBI and the ED. Sisodia had sought custody parole to visit his ailing wife twice a week. The judge, meanwhile, directed the CBI to file a detailed status report about its further investigation in connection with the alleged excise policy case by February 22, the next date of hearing. The judge passed the direction to the CBI after the defence counsel objected to "non-full disclosure" about the status of the investigation. During the proceedings, the CBI filed a report stating that the investigation is ongoing and at a crucial stage, adding that th

Court allows Hemant Soren to participate in trust vote in J'khand assembly

A special court in Ranchi on Saturday allowed former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren to participate in the trust vote in the state assembly on February 5. Soren, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in a money laundering case, filed a petition before the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court, seeking permission to participate in the trust vote sought by the new Champai Soren government. Soren was remanded to ED custody for five days by the court on Friday.

eCourts Ph-3 project gets Rs 825 cr this fiscal, Rs 1,500 cr for next FY

The phase-III of the ambitious eCourts project, which seeks to upgrade the lower judiciary's digital infrastructure, has been allocated Rs 825 crore this fiscal after the revised estimates, while an enhanced sum of Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated for the next financial year. The phase-III received a Cabinet nod in September last year with a financial outlay of Rs 7,210 crore. According to the revised estimates for 2023-24, the Law Ministry has been granted Rs 825 crore for the Phase III of the project. The project will get Rs 1500 crore, according to the budget estimates for 2024-25. This phase of the the project, which is to be implemented over four years, will see digitisation of entire court records, both legacy and pending cases, at an estimated cost of Rs 2,038.40 crore. A total of 3,108 crore documents will be digitised, official sources had said. The eCourts Mission Mode Project has been described by the government as the prime mover for improving access to justice using

Court sends Hemant Soren to one-day judicial custody after arrest by ED

The Directorate of Enforcement had sought 10-day remand of the former Jharkhand Chief Minister but the order has been reserved