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Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, May 12

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Kerala police chief to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) headed by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General to probe wife-swapping and sexual abuse allegations of a woman against her husband and five other naval officers.A Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, however, rejected the alleged victim’s plea for a CBI probe, observing that this could be done only if there was any real apprehension that the state police would not do its job.Married in March 2012 to a naval officer posted in Kochi, Sujatha Ravi Kiran lodged a complaint against her husband, parents-in-law and sister-in-law alleging physical and mental cruelty, besides levelling sexual abuse charge against the five naval officers and the wife of one of them.Sujatha also pleaded with the SC to transfer the accused naval officers’ petitions for quashing the complaint against them from the Kerala High Court to the Delhi HC. The apex court Bench, which included Justices R Banumathi and UU Lalit, also rejected this plea, but asked the Kerala State Legal Services Authority to nominate a senior counsel to represent her in the HC.The SC noted that the Kerala police had filed an affidavit that there was no laxity in the investigations being conducted by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. As many as 71 witnesses, including her friends and doctors, had already been examined. Also, the probe was being monitored by the HC.“The facts and circumstances in which the offence is alleged to have been committed can be better investigated by the state police,” the Bench held.The apex court directed the SIT to complete the probe within three months and clarified that the HC could go into the officers’ plea for quashing the FIR against them in the light of the outcome of the investigations.

Youth throw stones at security personnel during a protest in Srinagar. Tribune file Photo

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 10

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged the security agencies to conduct operations keeping in view the safety of the people so that an environment of peace and tranquillity is maintained to enable the government to implement its agenda of good governance and development.Mehbooba, chairing her first meeting of the Unified Headquarters here today, took stock of the security-related matters and peace on borders in the state. Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh was also present.The Chief Minister was briefed by top officers of the Army, police and the civil administration about the overall security scenario as well as the steps taken to maintain peace in the state.In her opening remarks, Mehbooba emphasised a humane approach while dealing with the law and order situation on the ground. She insisted that the standard operating procedures should be maintained at all costs. “Any incident of civilian killing reverses all gains that have been achieved so far,” she observed.While asking the security agencies to maintain restraint at all costs so as to avoid any civilian casualties and collateral damage, the Chief Minister said it would be in the fitness of things to give an option of homecoming to the local youth who have picked up guns.The Chief Minister also underlined the importance of United Headquarters as an apex platform to synchronise the endeavours of the civil administration, security forces and the J&K Police for evolving a cogent response to tackle the internal and external challenges to peace in the state. For a sense of normalcy, visibility of the security forces and bunkers should be minimised in the civilian areas, she added.Mehbooba stressed reducing the footprint of security forces at various tourist places and airports to cause less inconvenience to visitors and welcome them with a sense of normalcy.Referring to the importance of peace and tranquility along borders, the Chief Minister insisted upon taking forward the initiative of border tourism started by former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at Suchetgarh in Jammu. She also asked the security agencies to showcase the Baba Chamliyal area as a symbol of great reverence.On the smooth conduct of the Amarnath yatra, the CM stressed the involvement of the locals to facilitate the visiting pilgrims. “Kashmiris have for long been an epitome of hospitality which they have proved time and again during the yatra. Our young boys should be made part of this activity,” she said, adding that this would go a long way in generating a positive perception about the youth who are otherwise being demonised.The Deputy Chief Minister, while speaking on the occasion, appreciated the coordination between various wings of the security forces and maintained that it was due to their coordinated efforts that peace had been restored and sustained across the state and “now the onus lies on us to ensure that it remains constant”.He said necessary arrangements should be made for the smooth conduct of the Amarnath yatra.Chief Secretary BR Sharma, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, Lt Gen DS Hooda, Director General of Police K. Rajendra Kumar, GOC of 15 Corps Lt Gen SK Dua, GOC of 9 Corps Lt Gen Ashok Ambre, GOC of 14 Corps Lt Gen SK Patyal and other senior police, security and civil administration officials attended the meeting.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1

The Ministry of Finance has issued orders that pending cases concerning revision of pension consequent to the government removing the requirement of having 33 years service to earn full pension should be processed by May 31. The revision would increase the pension of the central employees concerned.The provision of having 33-year service for earning full pension was done away with in 2006 on the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, but this benefit was not extended to pre-2006 pensioners and the pension in such cases was being calculated with the proportionate reduction. In April, orders were issued to bring them on par with post-2006 pensioners.Orders issued by the Central Pension Accounting Office on April 27 have directed all principal chief controllers of accounts, chief controllers of accounts, controllers of accounts, accountant generals and UT administrators to revise such cases by using e-revision applications available on official networks.Over 93,000 cases from 54 Central ministries and departments are pending for revision consequent to the April 6 order. The highest number (58,629) is from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, April 29

The Bombay High Court today ordered the demolition of the controversial Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society building at Colaba in Central Mumbai on the grounds that it violated the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone Act. The court, however, granted a stay on its order for 12 weeks to allow lawyers representing members of the Adarsh Society to challenge it in the Supreme Court.A Bench comprising Justices RV More and RG Ketkar also asked the Ministry of Defence to act against its officials for not taking action on irregularities during the construction of the building. It asked all parties, including the Ministry of Defence and the state government, to restore the plot on which the Adarsh building stood.  The Ministry of Environment and Forests had on January 16, 2011, ordered that  the building be demolished in three months. However, members of the society moved the Bombay High Court.The Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society was originally planned as a six-storey building to house women who lost their men in the Kargil war. But in a few years, the building grew in height as politicians, bureaucrats and Army officers jostled for flats. The scam came to light in November 2010. The then Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had to resign after it was revealed that he had obtained multiple flats in the names of his relatives.

Mumbai housing society

• Adarsh Housing Society, with a 31-storey building in Colaba, Mumbai, was meant forKargil war widows and defence personnel
• But over the years, politicians, bureaucrats and military officers allegedly conspired to bend the rules to derive benefits
• The Army had been in “de facto” possession of the 6,490-sq m prime land for over 60 years before the Adarsh highrise came up there in 2003

The discharge of the nine accused Muslims in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case leaves a blot on the functioning of India’s premier investigative agencies. A failure to hold top bosses accountable encourages them to misuse anti-terror laws. Framing innocents in crimes they have not committed has become almost an everyday occurrence in this country. When Maharashtra’s ATS (anti-terror squad) picked up nine Muslims after the Malegaon blasts that left 37 people dead, few eyebrows were raised. When the CBI took over the investigation and filed a charge-sheet, their guilt stood almost established in the national conscience. Post 9/11, members of certain communities, including Muslims, have unfortunately been stereotyped as terrorists. It came as a huge surprise when the third agency to probe the case, NIA (National Investigation Agency formed after 26/11), stumbled upon a confession by Swami Aseemanand, picked up for the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast, saying that a right-wing group was involved in the Malegaon blasts. For the first time four right-wing terrorists were arrested and the term “saffron terror” gained currency thereafter. The innocent Muslim accused got bail finally but not before spending five years in jail. After the change of government at the Centre in 2014 an allegation of bias has frequently been thrown at the NIA and not just by human rights activists. The NIA has filed a charge-sheet against the four right-wing suspects in the Malegaon case but done little else. It has so far found no evidence against them. What lends credence to the charge is the fact that about 40 witnesses have turned hostile in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah and Samjhauta Express blast cases.The discharge of the accused in the Malegaon case and possible acquittals in other right-wing terror cases will dent the NIA’s image. Its credibility is at stake. Already its Pathankot handling has raised questions. If terror cases are pursued on communal lines, as an impression to this effect is gaining ground, it would jeopardise India’s fight against terror and its right to ask Pakistan to proceed against its own Masood Azhars and Hafiz Saeeds. There cannot be “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”.

Sample store first of its kind has been opened in the complex of Golden Loin Canteen complex at Ambala cantt by Maj Gen Vinod Kumar GOC PH &HP(I)  area Ambala on 12 Apr 2016.

After getting successful  response from the ESM and public , Sanjha Morcha is going ahead with similar stores to be opened in Various Cantonments for resettlement of ESM at early stage with full support of Sanjha Morcha team head by

Col Sandeep Bhanot,President  Harayana unit of Sanjha Morcha.

ESM can open it alone if financially sound or 4-8 ESM can club together for joint venture.

The employs will be ESM themselves or their Children, widows or their children , At no cost any civilian will be employed in the store. All items of the store will be replenished by Sanjha Morcha team centrally and the  selling rates will be less than MRP. No canteen brand supply item will be sold from the store but can have different brands/manufacturers.

All technical,workers,stores, will be provided by Sanjha Morcha