Nasheman News : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested six persons including Director of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) S.K. Sharma in a graft case, officials said.

A CBI official told media that the agency has arrested six persons — four public servants and two private persons — under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, from Delhi.

The official said that the agency had received information about payment of graft to the SAI officials to clear bills worth Rs 19 lakh.

He said a bribe of three per cent of Rs 19 lakh was demanded by the officials to clear the bills.

“On getting the information, we laid a trap and arrested them red-handed,” he said.

The official said besides Sharma, the agency has arrested Harendra Prasad, a junior account officer, Lalit Joli, supervisor – billing section, V.K. Sharma, upper division clerk, and two private persons — Mandeep Ahuja and his employee Yunis.

Nasheman News :  Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjiv Khanna were on Friday sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court.

They were administered the oath by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

With their swearing in, the apex court now has 28 judges against its sanctioned strength of 31.

Before their elevation to the top court, Justice Maheshwari was the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court and Justice Khanna was a Judge in the Delhi High Court.

President Ram Nath Kovind had appointed them as Supreme Court Judges on Wednesday after the government accepted the top court collegium’s recommendation on their elevation. 

The collegium decision of January 10 triggered a controversy as it had revoked its December 12, 2018, decision to recommend the elevation of Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajendra Menon to the Supreme Court.

Justice Khanna was elevated to Supreme Court superceding three senior most judges of Delhi High Court and he stood at number 33 of the all India seniority of the High Court judges.

The Supreme Court on Thursday requested the search committee to complete its task of shortlisting names for Lokpal and its members by February end and submit the list for consideration to the Selection Committee. The apex court will hear the matter next on March 7.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also directed the Centre to provide the search committee, which is led by Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai, the necessary infrastructure and manpower to complete its work.

The direction of the bench, which also comprises Justices L N Rao and S K Kaul, came after Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, pointed out certain problems like lack of infrastructure due to which the search committee was not able to hold deliberations on the issue.

The court was hearing a contempt plea filed by NGO Common Cause against the government for delaying the appointment of Lokpal. Appearing for the NGO, advocate Prashant Bhushan raised doubts on the working of the Search Committee.

To this, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, “Don’t look at things from a negative point of view. Look at things positively and the world would be a better place. We are trying to make the world a better place.”

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, enacted in 2013, received presidential assent on January 1, 2014, and came into force on January 16, 2014. However, the appointment of the first Lokpal is yet to occur. Some states are also yet to appoint Lokayuktas.

The selection committee comprises of the prime minister, the leader of the single largest opposition party, the Lok Sabha speaker and an eminent jurist.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the leader of the largest opposition party, has so far skipped meetings of the selection panel, taking objection to the government inviting him as a “Special Invitee”. Kharge has maintained that there is no provision in the Lokpal Act for a Special Invitee.

Social activist Anna Hazare has threatened to launch a hunger strike from January 30 over the Centre’s failure to appoint the Lokpal as per the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013.

Nasheman News : The government has proposed to introduce a new Emigration Bill to replace the existing Emigration Act 1983 in view of a paradigm shift in the nature, pattern, directions and volume of migration over the last 35 years.

According to the proposal made by the External Affairs Ministry, the Emigration Bill 2019 proposes to constitute an Emigration Management Authority (EMA) by the Centre to ensure the overall welfare and protection of emigrants. 

It will be the overarching authority to provide policy guidance, undertaking a comprehensive review and stocktaking on emigration management related matters. 

The EMA will be led by a secretary-level officer from the External Affairs Ministry, the nodal Ministry for all emigration-related matters and will have representation from the Home Ministry and the Ministry of Human Resource Development. 

It will also have representation from the states and the recruitment industry on a rotation basis.

Two new bureaus, the Bureau of Emigration Policy and Planning and the Bureau of Emigration Administration will be set up. 

These bureaus will be led at the joint secretary level and will take care of day-to-day operational matters and will be responsible for all emigration-related issues as well as the welfare and protection of Indian nationals abroad. 

The Bureau of Emigration Administration will have offices in different parts of the country.

According to the proposal, nodal authorities will be setup by the respective states and Union Territories that will be chaired at the principal secretary level and will have representation from the home, NRI, labour and skill departments. 

These authorities will work in close coordination with other competent authorities of the Central government to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration and address various aspects related to migrants who return.

The proposed Bill makes mandatory registration and intimation of all categories of Indian nationals proceeding for overseas employment as well as students pursuing higher studies abroad. 

The Bill has comprehensive provisions including insurance, pre-departure orientation, skill up gradation, legal assistance, migrant resource centres, help desks, migration and mobility partnerships, labour and manpower cooperation agreements aimed at strengthened the welfare and protection of the Indian work force abroad.

The proposed Bill also takes into account the increasing incidents of human trafficking, illegal recruitment, illicit trafficking of drugs, harbouring offenders under the garb of recruitment or those offering emigration services without due process.

It proposes to provide for stringent punishment, in particular for categories classified as aggravated form of offences with regard to women and children. 

The External Affairs Ministry has sought comments from the general public latest by January 20 before it being tabled in Parliament.

The Ministry statement proposing the new Bill stated that the Emigration Act 1983 was enacted in a specific context of large scale emigration of Indian workers to the Gulf region.

Nasheman News : Former NSA M.K. Narayanan on Tuesday expressed concern over the “internal dissension at the highest level of an institution like CBI” and questioned the way the agency chief was being selected now.

Responding to a query on the credibility of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narayanan said: “Internal dissension at the highest level of an institution like the CBI is a matter of concern.”

Narayanan, who was participating at an interactive session organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, however, said dissension at the top level of the CBI was not a new phenomenon but earlier such issues used to be decided primarily by the bureaucracy itself.

Narayanan questioned the present methodology of selecting the CBI chief.

CBI Director Alok Verma was unceremoniously removed from the post after a 2-1 decision by the high-level Selection Committee, a decision that came under attack from the opposition and legal experts.

According to Narayanan, selection of the CBI Director should be “decided within the system, not by people outside”.

On China, he said: “China should be our main concern. One country which does pose danger to us is China.

“China wants you off the main table, does not want you on the same table,” he said.

Asked about the Raffle deal controversy, he said, ” There is no doubt of the fact that the Prime Minister did not follow all the procedures that were expected..the opposition is blaming the Prime Minister for not following the guidelines. This is more of a political issue rather than for us to comment on that.”

In any case, once you have to buy any defence equipment in sizeable quantity, there are certain procedures to be followed, he said.

“I think that is the main charge that is being levelled against the Prime Minister. Whether that amounts to corruption, I do not know,” he said.

Narayanan, who had served as West Bengal Governor during 2010 to 2014, saw both the Left Front as well as Trinamool Congress government in the state.

Responding to a query on how Trinamool Congress Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is emerging as national leader, he said, “Amongst leaders today, she is probably better suited than many others.”

Nasheman News: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Centre on a petition filed against its controversial order allowing ten central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt computer systems.

Allowing a batch of petitions against the Centre’s order, the Supreme Court gave six weeks to the government to file its response.

The petitions claimed that the order is against the fundamental right to privacy and must be cancelled in the interest of justice.

Ten central agencies have been equipped with powers of “interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer,” stated an order signed by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba in December last year.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba issued the order enabling the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu and Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and Commissioner of Police, Delhi to snoop on any computer device.

The Home Ministry gave the authorisation under 69 (1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 which says that centre can direct any agency after it is satisfied that “it is necessary or expedient to do in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above or for investigation of any offence”.

Under the section, the subscriber or intermediary or any person who fails to assist the agency will face seven-year imprisonment and will also be liable to fine.

Nasheman News :The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the elevation of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjiv Sanjiv Khanna of the Delhi High Court to the apex court.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the collegium chaired by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Jan 10, which reconsidered the recommendations made by the previous collegium on December 12 last.

Out of the 31 sanctioned strength of judges, the Supreme Court had vacancies for 5 seats. Ouf of this, two have been recommended to be filled.

At its January 12 meeting, the collegium discussed the names of Chief Justices as well as senior puisne Judges of all High Courts, eligible for elevation to the Supreme Court. 

“The Collegium is of the considered view that at present the following persons are more deserving and suitable in all respects than other Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges of High Courts, for being appointed as Judges of the4 Supreme Court,” it said while deciding on the names of Justice Maheshwari and Justice Khanna.

Apart from Chief JusticeGogoi, the ohers in the Collegium are Justice A.K. Sikri, Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice N.V. Ramana and Justice Arun Mishra. 

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined an urgent hearing to a PIL filed against the Delhi High Court order dismissing a ban on the release of the trailer of ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’.

The Delhi High Court dismissed a PIL yesterday which sought a ban on ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ and its trailer on allegations that it defamed the constitutional post of the prime minister. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao said the petitioner has no locus standi to file the plea and private interest was involved in it.

Petitioner Pooja Mahajan alleged that provisions of the Cinematograph Act are being misused and the film producer has released the trailer affecting the image of the office of the prime minister and giving a bad name to it at the national and international level.

During the hearing, the producers of the film said they were not made a party in the PIL and the court should not pass any order without hearing them.

Advocate Sangram Patnaik, appearing for film producers Sunil Bohra and Dhaval Gada, objected to the petition saying it was not maintainable and how could the production house was not made a party. He said if the adverse order is passed, it would be the producers who would be affected as it is their money which is at stake.

A single judge had earlier refused to entertain the plea asking the petitioner to file it as a public interest litigation.

The film is scheduled to release on January 11. The film starring Anupam Kher as Manmohan Singh is based on a book of the same name by the former prime minister’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru and is scheduled to release on January 11.

Agencies

Nasheman News : A day after the removal of Alok Verma, Additional Director M. Nageswara Rao on Friday again took charge of the office of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director, the agency said.

Rao, a 1986-batch Odisha cadre Indian Police Service officer, took charge in pursuance of an order of the Department of Personnel and Training issued a day earlier.

Rao was first given charge as interim Director after the government on October 23 sent Verma on leave divesting him of his powers along with Special Director Rakesh Asthana following a bitter spat between them alleging each other’s involvement in corruption.

Rao has been again given the charge after Verma was on Thursday removed from the post within 48 hours after rejoining as CBI Director.

A 2-1 decision by a Selection Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its other two members being Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge and Supreme Court judge A.K. Sikri on Thursday decided to ease out Verma from the post of CBI Director.

 Nasheman News : The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad in a multi-million fodder scam case.

The high court had reserved verdict on the bail plea on January 4. 

After Justice Apresh Kumar Singh rejected the bail, RJD leaders said they would move the Supreme Court to challenge the court order.

Senior apex court lawyer Kapil Sibal had pleaded for Prasad’s bail citing the health condition and age of the RJD chief. He also produced a certificate from a Mumbai hospital and listed the diseases Prasad is suffering from, adding that he was granted bail in three other cases in which he was convicted.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lawyer opposed the bail.

Prasad was convicted on December 23, 2017 in a case of fraudulent withdrawal from Deoghar treasury. He was out on provisional bail in May last year for treatment but surrendered in August after the high court asked him to.

Prasad has been convicted in four cases and awarded 14-year jail term in the fodder scam case. Currently, he is undergoing treatment in the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), Ranchi.