Tag: probe

Retd HC judge to monitor crime branch probe into Odisha minister’s murder case: Official

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Bhubaneswar: A former Orissa High Court judge will monitor the police crime branch investigation into the murder of health minister Naba Kishore Das, an official said on Wednesday.
The home department had earlier requested the Orissa High Court to name a judge to monitor the investigation being carried out by the crime branch of the police.
The administration had made such a request to the high court to “maintain transparency in the investigation” in the wake of a demand for an impartial inquiry into the incident, a home department official said.
“The high court suggested the state government to engage Justice (Retd) J P Das to supervise and monitor the probe,” he said.
The state government had earlier announced the crime branch inquiry into the incident immediately after the state health minister was murdered.
Das, 60, breathed his last on January 29 evening, hours after he was shot by a policeman at Gandhi Chhak in Brajrajnagar area of Jharsuguda district, where he had gone to attend an event.
Earlier, the opposition BJP had demanded a CBI probe into the incident, claiming that the “Odisha police could not deliver justice as a policeman was the prime accused in the case”.
The Congress also demanded a court-monitored special investigation team to probe into the incident or a judicial inquiry.

Meanwhile, the Odisha assembly informed the Election Commission that the Jharsuguda assembly seat fell vacant after the death of Das on Sunday.
According to norms, an assembly or Lok Sabha constituency cannot remain vacant for more than six months, the official said.
“As the election to the Odisha assembly is due next year, a by-poll to Jharsuguda seat may be held. The EC will take the final call,” he added.
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#Retd #judge #monitor #crime #branch #probe #Odisha #ministers #murder #case #Official
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 1, 2023
Gujarat HC sets up panel to probe denial of medical care to pregnant women

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Ahmedabad: A division bench of the Gujarat High Court has set up a committee to be headed by retired justice to look into two incidents where pregnant women were allegedly refused medical aid by hospitals.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice A.J. Shastri while hearing a PIL observed on Tuesday, “We will appoint an independent panel, as we are seeing too many such incidents where unless an amount is paid, hospitals don’t admit patients…We want an independent authority to examine the issue.”
The court has appointed a three-member committee, which will be led by retired Justice Harsha Devani of the High Court. The other two members are Dr. Lavina Sinha, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Ahmedabad, who is also a licenced physician, and IAS Ramya Mohan, Mission Director of the National Health Mission. To assist the court on the matter Asim Pandya has been appointed as amicus curiae.
The committee will look into the two incidents in detail, prepare a detailed report and suggest remedies to the court.
A pregnant woman who gave birth outside the hospital on the sidewalk in February 2022 was refused medical attention by L.G. Hospital, which is managed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The newborn died soon after birth.
In another case, a pregnant woman was turned away by a private hospital in January 2022 because she was unable to pay the money. As a result, the woman gave birth on the hospital steps.
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#Gujarat #sets #panel #probe #denial #medical #care #pregnant #women
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 1, 2023
Hindenburg report on Adani: AAP demands probe into ‘biggest scam’

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New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday termed the allegations of financial fraud against the Adani Group as the “biggest scam” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order “a fair probe” into the matter.
In a letter to the prime minister, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also demanded that the passport of Adani Group’s founder and chairman Gautam Adani along with that of “all the important people concerned” be also confiscated so that they do not leave the country till the completion of the probe.
The AAP’s demands came after a US-based firm, Hindenburg Research, last week released a report alleging that the Adani Group had “engaged in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades”.
The Adani Group’s listed companies have lost over USD 70 billion since the January 24 report that flagged high debt levels at the ports-to-energy conglomerate and the alleged use of offshore entities in tax havens.
Modi जी का मित्र Adani बोला Hindenburg Report ‘भारत पर हमला है’
अब हर चोरी को ये बोलेंगे, भारत पर हमला हो गया?
जो करोड़ों लोगों को लूट रहा है, उसका भ्रष्टाचार उजागर करना भारत पर हमला कैसे?
सदन में चर्चा हो।
कहां छिपी है ED, IT, SEBI?
क्यों चुप है Modi सरकार?
—@SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/6DpMI6OEqC
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 31, 2023
The group has denied all charges and threatened to sue the US firm.
“This is the biggest scam committed by Narendra Modi’s closest friend. Lakhs of crores of money of the investors have gone down the drain due to this. Allegations levelled against the Adani Group are very serious and cause of worry for crores of people of this country,” Singh, who is also AAP’s national spokesperson, told a press conference.
The AAP demands that “a fair and honest probe” be ordered into the matter so that truth comes out before the nation, he said.
“We also demand a JPC (joint parliamentary committee) probe into the matter. We will raise this issue during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament,” he added.

Singh wrote to the prime minister on Monday, urging him to order a probe into the matter.
In his five-page letter to the prime minister, Singh listed the allegations levelled by Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group and said the US firm’s report brings forth “several serious examples and proofs of how the Adani Group and its affiliates are cheating the government, regulators and investors.”
With the US firm’s report, it has become “a very serious matter” and calls for immediate action, the AAP leader noted.
“It is our demand that after registration of a case in this matter as soon as possible, an honest and a fair investigation into each and every aspect be started,” Singh said in his letter to the prime minister.
The passports of all the important people concerned, including Adani Group’s founder and chairman Gautam Adani, should also be confiscated “so that all these people cannot leave the country until the investigation is complete and the truth comes out,” the AAP leader added.

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#Hindenburg #report #Adani #AAP #demands #probe #biggest #scam
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 31, 2023
Narendra Dabholkar murder: CBI tells Bombay HC its probe is complete

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Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday informed the Bombay High Court that it has completed its probe into the 2013 killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, and submitted the report to the competent authority for its decision.
The submission came following a query by a division bench comprising Justices A.S. Gadkari and P.D. Naik, which asked whether the investigation into the murder of Dabholkar — who was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013 – was complete.
To this, the CBI counsel, Additional Solicitor-General Anil Singh, said that the investigating officer of the agency has already submitted to the concerned authorities that the probe is over and no further investigation is required.
On Singh’s request, the bench allowed three weeks’ time to the CBI to confirm whether its probe is over to enable the high court to decide whether it should continue monitoring the same.
Singh said that the CBI has carried out the investigation, and no further probe is needed, adding that the IO has also filed his report which is pending before the competent authority. So far, 15 out of 32 witnesses have been examined in the trial, which commenced in September 2021, Singh informed the court.
The court’s order came on a petition filed by Dabholkar’s daughter, who had sought a high court-monitored probe, contending that the CBI investigation was not satisfactory and it had left loopholes in its probe.
The founder of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), Dabholkar was gunned down while on a morning walk in Pune, allegedly by members of a right-wing group, Sanatan Sanstha.

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#Narendra #Dabholkar #murder #CBI #tells #Bombay #probe #complete
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 30, 2023
Maha Cong chief questions investments by PSUs, LIC in Adani Group; seeks SIT probe

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has alleged the money of LIC and other PSUs was invested in Adani Group at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which he claimed was “a massive scale of irregularities” and demanded a probe by Special Investigation Team (SIT).
He also demanded the Maharashtra government take back the Dharavi redevelopment project in Mumbai from the Adani group.
The Congress’ demand for an SIT probe came days after a New York firm alleged in a report that its two-year investigation found the Adani Group “engaged in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades”.
Adani Group has threatened to sue Hindenburg Research for its “reckless” attempt to sabotage the mega share sale at Adani Enterprises and called the report “maliciously mischievous”.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani’s close relations are well known. The money of State Bank of India, LIC (Life Insurance Corporation), and other public sector undertakings (PSUs) have been invested by PM Modi without any thought and procedure in Adani group,” Patole alleged in a statement issued on Saturday.
He claimed such “favouritism” over the Adani Group has caused the fear of losing this money (against the backdrop of the group’s share tumbling on bourses).
“It is a massive scale of irregularities and there should be an SIT to probe it,” the Congress leader stated.
Patole alleged Narendra Modi’s closeness with Adani was well-known even before Modi became the prime minister (in 2014).

“After coming to power at the national level, PM Modi showed special favour and helped the group with a loan from SBI. The LIC has invested nearly Rs 74,000 crore in it. Adani could rank among the world’s richest persons so soon only because of Modi’s blessings.
“The public sectors undertakings that were performing well, have been given to Adani group for its operations as well. The bubble was burst and Adani may have to go to jail like Sahara group’s Subrato Roy,” Patole alleged.
He said it is a “world-known secret” that probe agencies were used to force a company to hand over the Mumbai international airport’s operations to Adani Group.
“Even Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has planned to hand over operations of state distribution utility to Adani group but it could not materialise because of the strong opposition from its union,” Patole added.
He claimed a Dubai-based real estate development company had put in the highest bid for the Dharavi slum rehabilitation project in Mumbai but the contract was awarded to Adani Group.
“Going by this group’s irregularities, it endangers the people living there and small businesses. The government should take back the Dharavi redevelopment project from the Adani group,” he demanded.
The Adani Group has termed the Hindenburg report malicious with unsubstantiated contents.
“The maliciously mischievous, unresearched report published by Hindenburg Research on January 24, 2023 has adversely affected the Adani Group, our shareholders and investors. The volatility in Indian stock markets created by the report is of great concern and has led to unwanted anguish for Indian citizens,” Adani Group’s legal head Jatin Jalundhwala had said in a statement.
“We are evaluating the relevant provisions under US and Indian laws for remedial and punitive action against Hindenburg Research,” he stated.
However, Hindenburg has stood by the report.
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#Maha #Cong #chief #questions #investments #PSUs #LIC #Adani #Group #seeks #SIT #probe
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 29, 2023
Conducting fair probe, BJP spokesperson, others examined: Delhi Police to SC

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police had told the Supreme Court that it is conducting a fair and unbiased investigation into the alleged hate speech made at a religious assembly in the national capital in 2021, and has examined Delhi BJP spokesperson, Sudarshan News editor-in-chief, Hindu Yuva Vahini members and others.
It added that the forensic science laboratory is scheduled to compare Sudarshan News editor’s specimen voice sample with the video from YouTube in March.
Delhi Police investigating officer, in an affidavit, said that Delhi BJP spokesperson Vikram Bidhuri, who was one of the participants has been examined, and Sudarshan News editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke was examined in the case on November 1, 2022 and “he was bound down u/s 41A CrPC”.
The affidavit added that the alleged hate speech video has been examined and the transcript has been prepared.
“Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi has fixed March 17 for recording of specimen voice sample of Suresh Chavanke. Thereafter his specimen voice recording will be compared with the video/audio downloaded from YouTube…..effort is being made to obtain the details of the video of the speech made during the event and uploaded on YouTube, through the process of MLAT,” it said.
“That investigation of the case is being conducted fairly and without any bias.”
The police filed this affidavit in compliance with January 13 order passed by the apex court directing the investigating officer to place on record the steps which have been taken to pursue the investigation since the incident took place on December 19, 2021. The police have also requested Google Inc to trace the login-logout IP addresses of the video on YouTube from where the alleged video was uploaded.
“That in response to notice u/s 91 Cr.P.C., a reply dated November 18, 2022 was received on email from Google, LLC, Legal Investigations Support, informing that no records from the Google account holders, specified in the request, have been found,” added the affidavit.

The police have told the apex court that it has examined Hindu Yuva Vahini Delhi chief Rajiv Kumar, who booked the auditorium, General Secretary Sachin Vasisht, who organised the event, and Ashutosh Sharma who attended the meeting and uploaded the video on YouTube in the channel named as ‘Hishant Media’, besides several others.
“Some other participants who had attended the event have been identified and are yet to be examined,” added the affidavit
“A draft ‘final report’ has been prepared and was sent to the prosecution branch for scrutiny. However, some points have been raised by the public prosecutor and investigation on those points is being conducted.”
On January 13, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Delhi Police for registering FIR on the alleged hate speeches made at Dharam Sansad in Govindpuri in December 2021 after a lapse of five months and not making an arrest or filing a charge sheet till date. It had told the police that there was no palpable progress made in the investigation in the case.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud shot a volley of questions at Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj after petitioner Tushar Gandhi said there was an explicit call for violence at the Dharam Sansad and in flagrant violation of the apex court judgment in Tehseen Poonawala directing expeditious action against hate-mongers, police have virtually not taken any action.
Gandhi’s counsel submitted that his client is not interested in contempt proceedings against the Delhi Police Commissioner but wants action to protect the secular fabric in the country.
The apex court is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday.
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#Conducting #fair #probe #BJP #spokesperson #examined #Delhi #Police
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 29, 2023
Karnataka AAP demands transparency in probe into ‘Santro Ravi’s’ Case

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Bengaluru: The Karnataka unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has posed several questions to the ruling BJP government in Karnataka about the investigation in power broker ‘Santro Ravi’s’ case.
K.S. Manjunath, also known as ‘Santro Ravi’, was nabbed by the Gujarat Police earlier this moth. The alleged human trafficker was on the run for the past 11 days. Ravi was in the eye of a political storm over his alleged role in police transfers and links to several politicians. He has at least 21 criminal cases lodged against him related to human trafficking, murder, fraud, and kidnapping.
Speaking to the press at the party office here, AAP’s communication in-charge for Karnataka, Brijesh Kalappa, said, “It has been over two weeks since the arrest of Santro Ravi, but the government has not goven any information about the investigation. Are they trying to shield him or do away with him?”
Kalappa asked several pointed questions to the government, including why Ravi was apprehended in Gujarat and not in Karnataka, what was the reason for his visit to Gujarat, and who were the people with whom Ravi had business dealings.
He also questioned the government’s lack of action against those who may have helped Ravi amass a wealth of Rs 1000 crore, and asked why the ED, CBI, or the Income Tax department are not probing how Ravi acquired so much money.
In response to a question about ADGP Alok Kumar’s comment that the investigation only pertains to the harassment complaint filed by Ravi’s wife, Kalappa said, “Why is the ADGP not investigating the links of this white-collar criminal with the politicians? Alok Kumar should not give in to political pressure. If he is working on the behest of politicians, he is incompetent to hold to his post.”
Kalappa also asked who helped Ravi stay in the Kumara Kurpa government guest house and questioned the reported overdose of drugs found in Ravi’s system. He compared the lack of information about Ravi’s case to that of Ajmal Kasab, pointing out that the public had more information about Kasab’s whereabouts and daily activities.
“Of the three political parties, both Congress and JD(S) have fallen silent on the issue of Santro Ravi, after Ravi himself said that he has provided his services to all the three political parties. They are hand-in-glove in both Santro Ravi and Shirki’s case and are happy with the government’s inaction against these criminals,” the AAP leader said.

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#Karnataka #AAP #demands #transparency #probe #Santro #Ravis #Case
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 28, 2023
Grievances appellate committees to probe complaints against social media firms

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New Delhi: The Centre has notified three grievances appellate committees that will address users’ complaints against social media and other internet-based platforms.
According to the notification, each of the three GACs (grievances appellate committees) will have a chairperson, two whole-time members from different government entities and retired senior executives from the industry for a term of three years from the date of assumption of office.
The first panel will be chaired by the chief executive officer of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ashutosh Shukla and Punjab National Bank’s (PNB) former chief general manager and chief information officer Sunil Soni have been appointed as the whole-time members of the panel.
The second panel will be chaired by the joint secretary in charge of the Policy and Administration Division in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Indian Navy’s retired Commodore Sunil Kumar Gupta and Kavindra Sharma, former vice-president (consulting), L and T Infotech, have been appointed as the whole-time members of this panel.
The third panel will be chaired by Kavita Bhatia, a senior scientist at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Former traffic service officer of the Indian Railways Sanjay Goel and former managing director and chief executive officer of IDBI Intech Krishnagiri Ragothamarao have been appointed as the whole-time members of the third panel.

The notification is part of the tighter IT rules, notified in October 2022 for setting up government-appointed GACs.
The objective of establishing the GACs is to settle the issues that users may have against the manner in which social media platforms initially addressed their complaints regarding content and other matters.
After the notification of the IT rules for social media, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that compliance with rules and laws was not a “pick-and-choose” or “cherry-picking” option for the platforms.
He had cautioned that if and when rules are not followed, the “safe harbour protection” that these platforms enjoy falls away.
The provision of safe harbour under IT laws gives internet platforms — social media, e-commerce etc. — protection from the content posted by users.
“The government looks at the internet through the prism of keeping it safe and accountable for 120 crore digital nagriks (digital citizens). Safe and trusted internet is an integral part of the trillion dollars digital economy goal,” the minister had said.
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#Grievances #appellate #committees #probe #complaints #social #media #firms
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 28, 2023
‘Decisions are imminent’: Georgia prosecutor nears charging decisions in Trump probe

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Willis has spent the last year investigating Trump’s and his allies’ effort to reverse the election results in Georgia, despite losing the state by more than 11,000 votes. The special grand jury probed Trump’s Jan. 2 phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to “find” just enough votes to put him ahead of Joe Biden in the state. And it pursued evidence about Trump’s broader national effort to subvert the election, calling top allies like his White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, attorney John Eastman and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
The special grand jury concluded its investigation earlier this month, dissolving in early January, and recommended that its findings be released publicly. McBurney then called for a hearing to discuss whether to follow the panel’s recommendation or maintain the secrecy of the report. Willis told the judge that making the report public could jeopardize impending prosecutions.
“In this case, the state understands the media’s inquiry and the world’s interest. But we have to be mindful of protecting future defendants’ rights,” Willis said, emphasizing that multiple people could face charges.
Tuesday’s discussion was the result of Georgia’s unusual grand jury law, which permits prosecutors to impanel a “special purpose grand jury” that has no power to make formal indictments but can help prosecutors gather evidence about a specific topic. If Willis opts to pursue charges against Trump or others, she needs to present her evidence to a traditional grand jury, which could then issue indictments.
Thomas Clyde, an attorney representing several media outlets supporting the release of the report, urged McBurney to side with the grand jurors rather than Willis.
“We believe the report should be released now and in its entirety,” Clyde said.
He noted that findings in criminal investigations are often released publicly even while investigations and grand jury proceedings continue.
McBurney noted that Willis’ probe has been accompanied by an extraordinary release of information and evidence by the House Jan. 6 select committee and from witnesses being called before a federal grand jury probing the same matters, none of which had derailed Willis’ probe. He also noted that there was little to stop individual grand jurors from simply telling others about the findings in their report.

But McBurney said he wanted more time to consider the arguments and said any ruling he made would provide significant advance notice before the potential release of the report.
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#Decisions #imminent #Georgia #prosecutor #nears #charging #decisions #Trump #probe
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

January 25, 2023
WFI sexual harassment case: Govt didn’t consult us before forming probe panel, say wrestlers

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New Delhi: The wrestlers who accused WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and intimidation on Tuesday rued that the government did not consult them before forming the oversight committee that will probe charges against the sports administrator.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announced on Monday that a five-member oversight committee, headed by legendary boxer M C Mary Kom, will investigate the charges against the WFI boss and also manage the day-to-day affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India.
Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sarita Mor and Sakshi Malik, who staged a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar for three days demanding the sacking of the WFI president, posted identical tweet on the micro-blogging site, expressing their dismay.
हमें आश्वासन दिया गया था कि Oversight Committee के गठन से पहले हमसे परामर्श किया जाएगा। बड़े दुख की बात है कि इस कमेटी के गठन से पहले हमसे राय भी नहीं ली गई. @narendramodi @AmitShah @ianuragthakur
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) January 24, 2023
हमें आश्वासन दिया गया था कि Oversight Committee के गठन से पहले हमसे परामर्श किया जाएगा। बड़े दुख की बात है कि इस कमेटी के गठन से पहले हमसे राय भी नहीं ली गई. @narendramodi @AmitShah @ianuragthakur
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) January 24, 2023
“We were assured that we will be consulted before the formation of the oversight committee. It’s really sad that we were not consulted,” the wrestlers tweeted and tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Thakur.
The oversight committee has former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, ex-badminton player and Mission Olympic Cell member Trupti Murgunde, ex-TOPS CEO Rajagopalan and former SAI executive director – teams – Radhica Sreeman as other members.
The wrestlers had accused Singh, who is also a BJP MP, of acting like a dictator and sexually harassing junior wrestlers.
The wrestlers did not reveal the identity of the athletes who faced sexual harassment.

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#WFI #sexual #harassment #case #Govt #didnt #consult #forming #probe #panel #wrestlers
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 24, 2023