CJI Ray attack case: convict gets SC relief
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday exempted a person, who along with a co-convict was sentenced to 10-year jail term for attempt to assassinate the then Chief Justice of India A N Ray near the Apex court in 1975, from surrendering himself for undergoing the sentence. “The convict appellant has said that he has been in jail for 14 years and 10 months. He is exempted from surrendering till the disposal of his appeal,” a Bench comprising justices S J Mukhopadhya and N V Ramana said. The court also granted Santoshanand Avadhoot, an Ananda Margi, the leave to challenge the Delhi High Court verdict which, after 38 years of filing of appeal, had upheld his conviction and award of 10-year jail term in the case
P Krishnamurthy is pvt secy to Parrikar
New Delhi: IAS officer P Krishnamurthy was on Monday appointed as Private Secretary to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Krishnamurthy, a 1997 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre, is presently working as Resident Commissioner at Goa Sadan here. He has been appointed for a five-year period or on co-terminus basis with the Minister’s tenure, an official order issued on Monday by the DoPT said. Krishnamurthy has also worked as secretary to Parrikar when he was Goa Chief Minister prior to his induction in the Union Cabinet.
Asaram doesn’t need any surgery, SC told
New Delhi: Self-styled ‘godman’ Asaram, who is in jail since his arrest in August, 2013 in a rape case, does not need any surgery and his aliments can be managed through medicines, a report submitted by a panel of AIIMS doctors to the Supreme Court said on Monday. A Bench of justices T S Thakur and Adarsh Kumar Goel, referring to the findings of the panel, said, “The opinion of half-a-dozen doctors of AIIMS is that at present, any surgical intervention is not required. He can be treated in OPD. Now what remainsIJ” Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, appearing for Asaram, however, sought some time to go through the report. The bench then fixed the matter on January 20 for hearing.
Richard Gere calls on Modi
New Delhi: Renowned Hollywood actor and activist Richard Gere on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here. Gere, who started his acting career in the 1970s, has lately become an active supporter of “free Tibet” movement led by the Dalai lama. He has become a practicing Tibetan Buddhist and is a persistent advocate for human rights in Tibet. He is a co-founder of the Tibet House, creator of The Gere Foundation, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Campaign for Tibet.
CBI nabs its own inspectors for graft
New Delhi: The CBI on Monday nabbed one of its own inspectors along with a bank official for allegedly taking a bribe from an accused in a bank fraud case. CBI sources said its Inspector S K Jha and a Chief Manager of Syndicate Bank, Sambi Reddy — who was attached with the agency on secondment — were nabbed here after they had allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs1 lakh. The sources added that Jha was on deputation from CISF. The money received was part payment for a bribe of Rs10 lakh which the duo is alleged to have demanded from the accused, they said.
Govt to curb manual scavenging soon
New Delhi: The Centre on Monday said it will end the practice of manual scavenging very soon from across the country. Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot after meeting a group of liberated manual scavenger women during his visit to Sulabh Gram in West Delhi area said that the BJP Government is committed to end this inhuman practice without any delay. “Steps have already been taken to identify all such persons who are involved in manual cleaning of toilets. large number of manual scavengers have already been rehabilitated and now they are engaged in various other activities,” Gehlot said.