CJI UPSET OVER BEHAVIOUR OF BUREAUCRATS, POLICE OFFICERS
Chief Justice NV Ramana has expressed reservations regarding the “objectionable” behaviour and attitude of bureaucrats and police officers in the country. On October 1, CJ Ramana made this remark while hearing a plea filed by suspended Additional Director General of Police of Chhattisgarh Gurjinder Pal Singh seeking protection from arrest in the criminal cases filed against him. The officer has been accused of various offences including illegal property, extortion, and sedition. “I have a lot of reservations about how bureaucracy, particularly how police officers are behaving in this country. I was at one time thinking of creating a standing committee to examine atrocities and complaints against bureaucrats, particularly police officers headed by the Chief Justice of the High Court. I want to reserve that, don’t want to do it now,” the CJI said.
Image with caption: The SC has imposed an interim cost of Rs 7 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh government in a 2002 encounter case
SC PULLS UP UP OVER ‘LAXITY’ IN ACTION AGAINST POLICEMEN
The Supreme Court has imposed an interim cost of Rs 7 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh government in a 2002 encounter case and also pulled up the state for protecting its police officers, reported Bar and Bench. “The petitioner, who is the father of the deceased who was killed in an alleged encounter by the police, has been running from pillar to post from the last 19 years,” the order issued on September 30 said. It added: “The laxity with which [the] state has proceeded in the present case speaks volumes of how [the] state machinery is defending or protecting its own police officers.” During the September 30 hearing, the bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose noted that the trial court had directed in 2018 that the salaries of the accused officials be stopped but it was only done for one of them, according to The Indian Express. It also noted that that the fourth accused person, who was absconding, was even paid all his dues when he retired in 2019.
MAMATA BAGS LANDSLIDE VICTORY IN BHAWANIPORE BYPOLL
Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee on October 3 registered a landslide victory in the Bhawanipore bypolls with a record margin of over 58,000 votes. With this win, Mamata will now secure the chief minister’s post, which she would have had to vacate in the event of a loss. “I have won the Bhawanipore assembly bypolls with a margin of 58,835 votes and have registered the victory in every ward of the constituency,” chief minister announced in Kolkata. Mamata lashed out at the Centre for allegedly hatching conspiracies against her. “Since the elections started in Bengal, the central government hatched conspiracies to remove us (from power). I was hurt in my feet so that I don’t contest the polls. I am grateful to the public for voting for us and to ECI for conducting polls within 6 months,” she said. Mamata added that the people of Bhawanipore gave a befitting reply to the conspiracy that was hatched in Nandigram.
PUBLISHER APOLOGISES FOR PRINTING ISLAMOPHOBIC CONTENT
Following demand from the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) to delete ‘Islamophobic’ content in a schoolbook in Telangana, the state authorities on September 26 assured appropriate action while the publisher has apologised and decided to delete the objectionable photograph. The Director of School Education clarified that the objectionable photograph was not published in the government prescribed textbook of 8th class but in the Question Bank prepared and published by VGS Brilliant Series publication, a private firm. The Telangana Zone of SIO had strong exception to the picture of a ‘terrorist’ showing him holding a rocket launcher in his right hand and carrying the Holy Qur’ān in his left hand. It was published in the chapter ‘National movement – the last phase 1919 -1947’. Dr Talha Faiyazuddin, president, SIO Telangana condemned the publication of Islamophobic content and urged the state’s education minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy to initiate action against the publisher. He said such content will prejudice students’ minds.
MUSLIM RESIDENTS MOVE COURT TO PROTECT TEMPLE
The High Court of Delhi on September 24 ordered the police to ensure that a temple in Noor Nagar, which is in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar, is “protected” and that there is “no law and order situation in the area”. The court’s order comes after a part of the dharamshala situated next to the temple, in the heart of Noor Nagar, was razed by miscreants, said The Wire on September 27. Jai Prakash, an elderly auto-driver said that the temple is now being guarded because of the efforts of local Muslims in the area. “The miscreants were targeting our religious structures because of their greed for money. The private builders wanted to take that land away and build something else over it,” he said. Syed Faizul Azeem (Arshi), who had filed the petition before the Delhi high court said that in spite of multiple complaints, no investigation had been initiated into the matter. He added that there is a growing disconnect between the two communities, but efforts for peace should be made from both sides.
Image with caption: Mohammad Iftikharuddin
5-YEAR-OLD VIDEO OF IAS OFFICER PROMPTS UP POLICE PROBE
A five year old video clip of a gathering at a senior IAS official’s home where the virtues of Islam are being discussed has prompted the Uttar Pradesh government to order an inquiry by a special investigation team. In one of the videos, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) chairman Mohammad Iftikharuddin is seen sitting with a group of men. In a related video, there is a gathering where another man is talking about how in Punjab someone came to him saying he wanted to convert to Islam after seeing his sister burning in the pyre after her death. Since propagating a religion or extolling its virtue is not an offence, it is not clear what crime the SIT intends to investigate. Inviting a religious preacher to one’s officially allotted accommodation is also not a crime, said The Wire on September 29.
MUSLIM LIVELIHOODS UNDER ATTACK IN INDIA
Not everyone in India is excited about the upcoming festive season in October and November. For a mutton seller in Greater Noida, it would mean a loss of business for nearly 10 days. “The Bajrang Dal in this area distributed pamphlets ordering the closure of shops during the festival period. They have become very active ever since Yogi Adityanath came to power,” he was reported as saying on September 27. “The BJP government has been speaking against Muslims since it came to power, but just speaking against them is not enough to win the hearts of their Hindu supporters in the politically charged state,” he said. “The Muslim community has to be brought to its knees by economically marginalising them even further. This is being done in order to send a signal to the Hindu electorate that Muslims are being shown their place.”