Delhi News Highlights (May 24): A Delhi court on Friday convicted Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case filed by Delhi L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena, news agency PTI reported. The legal battle between the two dates back to 2000, after Patkar filed a suit against Saxena for publishing advertisements against her and the NBA. Saxena had also filed two cases against her for making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issuing a defamatory press statement.
Meanwhile, Bibhav Kumar, accused of assaulting AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, was sent to judicial custody for four days by a Delhi court on Friday. Kumar, an aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was produced in court where his counsel argued that no offences were such which required a detailed investigation.
A fire broke out inside a banquet hall in Alipur on Friday afternoon. Fire officials said tenders have been rushed to the spot, and no casualties have been reported yet. Updates are awaited.
Women have ‘better right of consideration’ for bail: BRS leader K Kavitha tells Delhi High Court
While arguing her bail plea in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probes into the Delhi excise policy case, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator K Kavitha told the Delhi High Court on Friday that even though women do not have an automatic right of bail under the law, they do have a “better right of consideration” for bail.
Kavitha has moved bail pleas before the high court in probes by both the ED and the CBI into the now-scrapped excise policy. She has also moved a plea challenging her arrest by the CBI and the trial court’s subsequent order remanding her to the agency’s custody. Apart from challenging the entire proceedings leading to her arrest, she has also challenged the trial court’s order allowing the CBI to interrogate her while she was in judicial custody. Read More
Chronology of events in Medha Patkar defamation case
Follow the chronology of events in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, in which a court on Friday convicted Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar:
Ex-PM Manmohan Singh avails EC's home voting facility: Sources
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh cast his vote through postal ballot last week for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, the sources said here on Friday.
The sources said Singh, 91, voted at his residence as he is not keeping well. Singh is residing at Motilal Nehru Marg in central Delhi and he voted in the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, where Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Somnath Bharti of the INDIA bloc is pitted against Bansuri Swaraj of the BJP.
The former prime minister availed the facility provided by the Election Commission (EC) for the first time in Lok Sabha elections for the elderly above the age of 85 years to cast their vote at home. The facility has also been provided by the EC for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Kejriwal leading a misleading campaign : Sudhanshu Trivedi
BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday said that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who is out on bail was instructed not to talk about the case, but he is doing just the opposite with his misleading campaign.
"Technically speaking, he has been an IRS officer, and he is saying that there is no physical presence of scam-related money. This is either misleading or vicious. In this game of corruption, Arvind Kejriwal is playing the role of that playback singer, who has always been behind the scenes. He must remember that no matter how smart the thief is, he will be caught by the law of the land,” the BJP leader said.
"Arvind Kejriwal is the latest link in the series of Chief Ministers who went to jail on corruption charges, which started in 1997 with the then Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav. He is the only Chief Minister in the history of India who did not resign even after going to jail," he said.
Delhi court convicts Medha Patkar in defamation case filed by Delhi L-G
A Delhi court on Friday convicted Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case filed by Delhi L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena, news agency PTI reported. The legal battle between the two dates back to 2000, after Patkar filed a suit against Saxena for publishing advertisements against her and the NBA. Saxena had also filed two cases against her for making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issuing a defamatory press statement.
Neighbour rapes, kills 3-year-old girl in Delhi: Police
A three-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped, raped and killed by her neighbour in southwest Delhi, the PTI reported on Friday.
The girl's body was found dumped in a drain and the accused was arrested after a brief exchange of fire, they said.
According to police, the incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the victim's family reported the kidnapping of their daughter from the Kapashera area.
"A police team was sent to the spot immediately. The victim's mother told police that her daughter was playing outside of the house at around 6 pm when her neighbour kidnapped her" said the DCP.
Based on her complaint, an FIR was lodged and a massive search operation was launched to trace the girl and the accused. Police examined the CCTV footage, he said.
"In one camera, at 7.05 pm, the accused was seen with the girl going towards a drain. In the same camera, he was caught returning alone without the girl at around 7.25 pm," DCP Meena said.
The accused was traced and detained at about 11.55 pm, the same day from a bus heading towards Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
"He was interrogated and initially denied having played any role whatsoever in the kidnapping. But during sustained interrogation, he broke down and admitted to having killed and dumped the girl in a marshy drain located at the border of Gurgaon and Kapashera," DCP said.
Police said that the accused then led the team to the drain, where they launched a search operation, he said. The crime and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams were also called to the spot, he said.
"After a long search operation lasting more than an hour in the dark, the girl's body was finally found dumped in the marshy drain," he added.
"At that moment, the accused sensed an opportunity to escape. He grabbed the loaded service revolver of a police officer, tried to escape from custody, and fired at the team. The police fired in self-defence and hit him. He was immediately rushed to Indira Gandhi Hospital," Meena said.
"The body was examined by the FSL and crime team. The accused was arrested and is now in judicial custody. The body was sent for post-mortem," Meena said.
"The autopsy report confirmed that the girl was raped. We are adding 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO Act) to the earlier sections 363 (abduction), 302 (murder) of the IPC," he added.
Swati Maliwal case: Bibhav Kumar to be produced in court on May 28
On May 24, 2024, Bibhav Kumar was produced before the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal, as his police custody had ended. The Delhi Police sought 4 days of judicial custody for Bibhav Kumar.
Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava informed the court that the accused, Bibhav Kumar, was allowed to meet his family members. Advocate Rajiv Mohan, representing Bibhav, argued that the offenses did not require a detailed investigation.
The Delhi Court subsequently sent Bibhav Kumar to judicial custody for 4 days, and he will be produced before the Court again on May 28.
During the proceedings, Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj, representing Bibhav, informed the court that the CCTV footage supports his client's case. He has filed an application to protect the CCTV footage and present it before the court. Bhardwaj also questioned the prosecution regarding the number of DVRs they have seized.
The prosecution, represented by Srivastava, initially stated that the accused did not provide the requested DVR. However, Bhardwaj pointed out that in the remand application, the prosecution had claimed the CCTV footage was blank, while in their reply, they mentioned seizing a DVR.
The judge asked the prosecution to clarify what they had seized, and Srivastava admitted that they had earlier requested a DVR, but the accused did not provide it. Bhardwaj argued that the prosecution had misled the court in the previous hearing to obtain the remand.
Bhardwaj further questioned whether the NVR (Network Video Recorder) was also blank, and Srivastava responded that it was with the experts.
The court will pass an order on Bhardwaj's application to protect the CCTV footage on May 28, when Bibhav Kumar is scheduled to be produced again.
Kejriwal's aide's police custody ends, produced before court.
The police custody of Bibhav Kumar, a close aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has ended and he has been produced before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal. The Delhi Police are seeking 4 days of judicial custody.Advocate Rajiv Mohan representing Bibhav: No offences were such which required a detailed investigation.
Fire breaks out in Atlantis Banquet Hall at GT Karnal Road
Fire breaks out in Atlantis Banquet Hall at GT Karnal Road. 12 fire tenders have rushed to the spot. The process of extinguishing the fire is underway. Further details awaited are awaited.
Delhi | Fire breaks out in Atlantis Banquet Hall at GT Karnal Road. 12 fire tenders have rushed to the spot. The process of extinguishing the fire is underway. Further details awaited: Delhi Fire Service pic.twitter.com/dIXGhy6j5F
Spivak, Du Bois, subaltern and speech: What the fracas at JNU is all about
In her 1988 postcolonial studies essay, literary critic Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak famously asked, “Can the subaltern speak?” Thirty-six years later, a Dalit student responded, “If the subaltern cannot speak, he shall abuse” and threw in an expletive for good measure.
The controversy broke out at a lecture on ‘W. E. B. Du Bois and his vision of democracy’ at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where Spivak had been called as a guest speaker. During the Q/A session, a student ventured to pose his question to Spivak, but was unable to as she interrupted him thrice to correct his pronunciation of ‘Du Bois’.
Kejriwal trying to destroy evidence in Swati Maliwal assault case, says BJP leader
On Swati Maliwal assault case, BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia says, "When a CCTV footage is destroyed it reveals that a heinous crime has been committed and Arvind Kejriwal is trying his best to destroy the evidence...Arvind Kejriwal is not standing with the victim woman but the accused."
Kejriwal has become so big that now his Rajya Sabha MP has to take an appointment: Shazia Ilmi
SpiceJet to operate Delhi-Bangkok flights with A340 plane for limited period
SpiceJet on Thursday said it will deploy wide-body A340 plane to operate daily Delhi-Bangkok flights for a limited period.
"This enhancement will increase the seating capacity to 324 passengers per flight on the route, catering to the high demand during the holiday season. The upgraded service will commence on May 31 and continue until June 20, 2024," it said in a release.
Currently, the airline is using narrow-body Boeing 737 plane on this route.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal addresses Traders' Meet in support of BJP candidate from Chandni Chowk
Union Minister Piyush Goyal addresses Traders' Meet in support of BJP candidate from Chandni Chowk Praveen Khandelwal ahead of the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections scheduled in Delhi on May 25. Congress has fielded Jai Prakash Agarwal from Chandni Chowk.
On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that his old and ailing parents were being targeted to 'break' him, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said, “Arvind Kejriwal has crossed all limits today. He has now gotten his sick mother and 85-year-old father involved in the case. Just two days before elections (in Delhi), Arvind What proof does he have of Delhi police summoning his parents for questioning?”VIDEO | Swati Maliwal Case: Here’s what Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva (@Virend_Sachdeva) said on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that his old and ailing parents were being targeted to "break" him.“Arvind Kejriwal has crossed all limits today. He has now gotten his sick… pic.twitter.com/43TXD481b4— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 23, 2024
Union Minister Piyush Goyal addresses Traders' Meet in support of BJP candidate from Chandni Chowk
Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday addressed a Traders' Meet in support of the BJP candidate from Chandni Chowk.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Delhi: Union Minister Piyush Goyal addresses Traders' Meet in support of BJP candidate from Chandni Chowk Praveen Khandelwal ahead of the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections scheduled in Delhi on May 25.<br><br>Congress has fielded Jai Prakash Agarwal from Chandni Chowk. <a href="https://t.co/fDqAysLyn1">pic.twitter.com/fDqAysLyn1</a></p>— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1793640244774121547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kejriwal is using his parents to gather sympathy: Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva
On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that his old and ailing parents were being targeted to 'break' him, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said, “Arvind Kejriwal has crossed all limits today. He has now gotten his sick mother and 85-year-old father involved in the case. Just two days before elections (in Delhi), Arvind What proof does he have of Delhi police summoning his parents for questioning?”
VIDEO | Swati Maliwal Case: Here’s what Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva (@Virend_Sachdeva) said on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that his old and ailing parents were being targeted to "break" him.
Why are you targeting my old and ailing parents: Kejriwal to PM
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday criticised the Prime Minister for targetting his parents. 'Why are you targeting my old and ailing parents. My motheris suffering from multiple ailments, father has hearing issues,' he said.
Your vote will create employment, reduce inflation, empower women and build an equal India: Sonia to people of Delhi
Two days before the election, Soni Gandhi released a message for the people of Delhi.
Need women MLAs, MPs, says Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his address in Mangolpuri said, "We have to get female MLAs, MPs. Because until women representatives do not take up the position of MLAs and MPs, you issues will not be voiced."
With PTI input
Waiting for police with my parents, says Kejriwal
While Delhi police said CM Kejriwal's parents can be interrogated later, the AAP supremo in a post in Hindi on X wrote, "I am waiting for the police with my parents and wife. Yesterday the police called my parents and asked for time for interrogation. But they have not given any information yet whether they will come or not."
Ambani, Adani comment again at Rahul Gandhi's rally
Commenting on BJP leaders remark that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sent by god for a mission, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "What kind of person has the parmatma sent ? The weird fact is that the one sent by the parmatma only works for 22 people. He works for Ambani, for Adani.
He does whatever the Ambanis and Adanis want within 2 mins — whether they want infrastructure, railways. But when it comes to the poor- they ask for health, infrastructure, employment but Modiji won’t give it to them."
Saman Husain reports
Rahul Gandhi addresses rally in Dilshad Garden. Check what he has said
Addressing a rally in Dilshad Garden, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “We have Kanhaiya here, he comes and meets me sometimes, we talk — sometimes about international relations, some other times about poverty, he understands different issues…but if he comes to me someday and says that Rahul ji, I’m not biological and the parmatma has sent me, I will tell him that Kanhaiya don’t ever say this to anyone else,” he says.
AAP leader Atishi reaches Kejriwal's residence
AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi who reached Kejriwal's residence told ANI, "...All limits have been crossed as his (Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal) old and ailing parents have been called for questioning today. Has the PM stooped so low that old parents are being harassed? The people of Delhi will give an answer to this through their vote. This whole thing is a conspiracy by the BJP."
Kanhaiya Kumar addresses rally in Dilshad Garden. Watch
Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar addresses rally in Dilshad Garden.
Watch video:
PM Modi does not even spare Arvind Kejriwal's old, sick parents, says Sanjay Singh
As Delhi police is likely to question Arvind Kejriwal's parents today, AAP leader Sanjay Singh told PTI, "People of this country and Delhi are noticing; PM has taken the politics of revenge against Arvind Kejriwal to such a level that now he (PM Modi) is not even sparing his (Arvind Kejriwal) old and sick parents. The whole country and Delhi will give an answer to this."
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