Arif Mohammad Khan

Patna: Arif Mohammad Khan will be sworn in as the governor of Bihar at the Raj Bhavan here on Thursday, officials said.

The oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held around 11 am, they said.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was recently appointed the governor of Kerala, while Khan, who served as the governor of Kerala, was moved to Bihar.

Khan, who arrived in Patna on Monday, had told reporters at the airport that he would try to discharge his duties in accordance with the glorious tradition of the state.

“I know the glorious history of Bihar. It has an impact on me. I will try to discharge my duties in accordance with the heritage and glorious tradition of the state,” he had said.

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi met singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh on Wednesday, and lauded his rise from modest beginnings to make a name for himself internationally.

“A very memorable interaction,” Modi said on Instagram, sharing a short clip of their interaction.

He said in a post on X, “A great interaction with Diljit Dosanjh! He’s truly multifaceted, blending talent and tradition. We connected over music, culture and more.”

He has been winning over people, Modi is heard telling Dosanjh in a lighter vein, referring to the first name of the famous Punjabi artiste.

Dosanjh expressed his admiration for Modi’s sentiments towards his mother and the Ganga river.

Dosanjh was recently criticised by some rightwing groups over a host of issues.

Following his meeting with Modi, Dosanjh said in post on X, “A fantastic start to 2025. A very memorable meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We talked about a lot of things including music of course!”

Allahabad High Court

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has firmly stated that it is time for husbands to discard outdated Victorian-era mentalities and acknowledge that a wife’s body, privacy, and rights belong solely to her and are not subject to her husband’s control or ownership.

A single-judge bench of Justice Vinod Diwakar made these observations while dismissing a plea filed by a man accused of secretly recording intimate videos of his wife without her consent, uploading them on Facebook, and sharing the footage with her cousin.

The petitioner sought to quash the chargesheet and criminal proceedings under s. 67B of the Information Technology Act, arguing that no offence could be made out as the complainant was his legally wedded wife. He also contended that the FIR was anti-timed, the victim’s statement under s. 161 CrPC showed substantial improvements, and no material evidence linked him to the alleged acts.

Opposing the plea, the Additional Government Advocate argued that serious allegations were made against the husband. The complainant’s legal relationship with the accused did not give him the right to make or circulate an obscene video.

Rejecting the husband’s arguments, the Court observed that such claims could be raised during trial but cannot be grounds for quashing proceedings under s. 482 CrPC. Addressing the core issue, the Court remarked:

“Marriage does not grant a husband ownership or control over his wife, nor does it dilute her autonomy or right to privacy. By uploading an intimate video on Facebook, the applicant has gravely breached the sanctity of the marital relationship.”

Referring to historical principles like the Victorian doctrine of coverture, the Court stated that it is high time for husbands to move past regressive mindsets that undermine women’s autonomy. It emphasised the constitutional right to privacy, citing landmark cases such as Roe v. Wade (US) and K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (India), which recognise bodily autonomy and personal liberty as fundamental rights.

The Court further underscored that a wife is an individual with her own rights and agency, not an extension of her husband. Respecting her bodily autonomy and privacy is not only a legal duty but also a moral obligation essential for fostering an equal relationship.

Dismissing the plea, the Court highlighted that any attempts to control or violate a wife’s rights through coercion, abuse, or the non-consensual sharing of intimate details constitute severe breaches of trust and legality.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna

New Delhi : Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Thursday wished the lawyers and litigants a happy new year as the Supreme Court reopened after its winter vacation, which lasted from December 21, 2024, to January 1, 2025.

“I wish you all a happy new year. May you have a happy new year, your families…,” the CJI said at the outset of the day’s proceedings.  “I am told the email for mentioning is not working. You can move the physical letters accordingly,” the CJI said, adding that such letters would be reviewed in the afternoon, with necessary orders issued for listing.

After taking charge as the CJI, Justice Khanna had stopped the practice of oral submissions for urgent listing of cases before the apex court benches. He had said the urgent listing of cases will be permitted after the lawyers either send emails or write letters for the purpose.

Usually the lawyers mention their cases before the CJI-led bench at the outset of the day’s proceedings for out of turn listings and hearing of cases on grounds of urgency.

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider a plea of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi seeking the implementation of the 1991 places of worship law, which asks to maintain the religious character of a place as it existed on August 15, 1947.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar ordered that Owaisi’s fresh plea to be tagged with pending cases on the matter and said it will be taken up on February 17 with them.

At the outset, lawyer Nizam Pasha, appearing for Owaisi, the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), said that the court is seized of various pleas on the issue and the fresh one may be tagged with them as well.

“We will tag this,” the CJI said.

Owaisi filed the plea on December 17, 2024 through advocate Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi.

On December 12, however, the bench headed by the CJI, while acting on a batch of similar pleas against the 1991 law, restrained all courts from entertaining fresh suits and passing any interim or final orders in pending cases seeking to reclaim religious places, particularly mosques and dargahs.

The special bench was hearing about six petitions, including the lead one filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, challenging various provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

The 1991 law prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.

Owaisi, in his plea, has sought a direction to the Centre to ensure effective implementation of the law, his counsel said.

He also referred to instances where several courts had ordered surveys of mosques on pleas by Hindu litigants, he said.

New Delhi: Punjabi singing sensation Diljit Dosanjh dedicated his concert to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who died on the night of December 26.

The singer-actor on Instagram shared a video from Sunday’s concert in which he spoke about the lessons he believes people should learn from Singh.

In the clip, Dosanjh recalled how Singh would never speak ill about anyone even if someone did so towards him.

“He lived a very simple life. If I look at the journey of his life, it was so simple. Even if someone talked ill about him, he never reverted in the same manner. In politics, it’s the toughest thing to avoid,” he is heard saying in the video.

“Have you ever seen those Lok Sabha sessions? Our politicians fight as if they are nursery kids… But something that we should learn from Dr Manmohan Singh ji is that he never responded back in the same manner,” he added.

Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms and who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India between 2004 and 2014, died last week at the age of 92.

Dosanjh, 40, further mentioned the words which Singh would speak and said everyone including him should learn from him.

“He would often say ‘Hazaaron jawabon se meri khamoshi acchi, na jaane kitne sawalon ki aabroo dhak leti hai’ (‘My silence is better than a thousand answers, it has saved the grace of many questions’) and it is something the youth needs to learn from him, even I do. We should focus on our goals even if people speak worst about us and try to distract us,” he said.

“Today, I bow my head in front of a man who loved his country and spent his life serving it,” he added. The singer will next perform in Ludhiana on December 31 as part of his Dil-Luminati India Tour.

Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, on Sunday, made a remark questioning the Adityanath government’s recent diggings at various locations in Uttar Pradesh after claims of ancient temples being discovered. In a press conference, he claimed that there was a ‘Shivling’ beneath the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s official residence in Lucknow and suggested that it should be dug up as well.

Akhilesh’s comments appeared to mock the state government’s actions, particularly referencing the diggings in Sambhal and other areas.

He also criticised the state government for its failure to complete essential tasks ahead of the upcoming Mahakumbh at Prayagraj, which is set to begin on January 13. He stated, “Many important works are still incomplete, and this government is busy distributing invitation cards for the event.”

Regarding a recent remark by a UP minister suggesting that Akhilesh take a holy dip at the Kumbh, Akhilesh dismissed it, asserting that he had attended the event multiple times and that people visit on their own, not as invited guests. He accused the government of attempting to divert attention from its failures.

In addition, Akhilesh demanded that elections in India be conducted using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs). He pointed to Germany’s legal stance on the matter, highlighting that its Supreme Court had ruled in favour of using ballot papers.