• NATIONAL NEWS

Delhi HC turns down Grasim plea on excise duty rebate

The Delhi High Court has turned down a plea by the Aditya Birla Group firm Grasim Industries seeking excise duty rebate on raw materials used for export items. A bench headed by justices Badar Durez Ahmed and VK Jain said the textile manufacturer is already getting rebate on finished products and hence cannot get such exemptions on raw materials used in it. Dismissing the Petition, the judges quoted a previous Bombay High Court order in a similar case, and said, "the government had correctly followed the decision of the Bombay High Court in coming to the view that the petitioner was not entitled to rebate of duty paid on raw materials after it had already been granted rebate in respect of duty paid on finished products".

Vikhroli hooch tragedy: Bombay high court pulls up state

The Maharashtra state government on Wednesday faced the Bombay High Court's ire for its inaction in the December, 2004 Vikhroli and the 1991 Chhaya Bar hooch tragedy cases. A Division Bench of justice FI Rebello and justice RV More pulled up the government for not concluding the inquiry against a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and for not implementing recommendations of PR Parthasarthy Committee, which was set up following the Chhaya Bar tragedy. The Court directed the additional secretary (Home) to explain the delay in concluding inquiry against the then DCP of Vikhroli area, Dilip Bhujbal, who was suspended following the incident. Also, the secretary (Excise) has been directed to file an affidavit explaining why there has been a delay in implementing the panel's recommendations.

Plea against Bar Council exam for practicing law

A resolution of the Bar Council of India (BCI) deciding to introduce an All India Bar Examination for law graduates for their entry into the profession has been challenged in the Madras High Court. The First Bench comprising Chief Justice MY Eqbal and Justice TS Sivagnanam, before which the public interest writ petition from advocate M Radhakrishnan came up for hearing on Thursday, ordered notice to the BCI, Delhi, returnable in three weeks. The Petition sought to quash the resolution dated April 10, 2010, which required all law students graduating from the academic year 2009 - 2010 and enrolled as advocates to possess a 'certificate of practice' issued by the BCI to practice law.

You are party to honour killings: Court to Cops

The Delhi High Court on Thursday slammed the police for its failure to protect people from 'honour' killings in the capital, saying that they "connive" with the families for money. "You can search the entire city if your boss' dog is lost but you can't provide protection to people. This is what you are," the Court said. The observation was made in an apparent reference to an incident involving a Delhi police commissioner's dog going missing in March 2008 and massive hunt launched by the police.

Sheila's Legal notice to Gupta

CM Sheila Dikshit on 13th June, 2010 sent a legal notice to Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta for "defamation and conspiring to malign her reputation and image." The notice, sent by Dikshit's advocate asks Gupta to tender an unconditional public apology within three days and withdraw all false allegations made by him in advertisements on hoardings across the city. "Gupta conspired to display numerous hoardings violating the Outdoor Advertisement Policy approved by the Supreme Court". Hence, these were removed by authorities.

Legal notice for Balaji Telefilms

Biopics in Bollywood have often created furore. Mahesh Bhatt's Gangster was reportedly director Anurag Basu and his interpretation of Abu Salem's life. The real gangster, who was then in jail, had sent a legal notice to Bhatt for making a film on him without asking his consent. Sundar Shekhar Mirza, said to be Haji Mastan's adopted son, has sent a legal notice to Balaji Telefilms and director Milan Luthria for making Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai on his late father. According to sources associated with Balaji, Mirza's notice questions the production company's rights to make a film on is father without the late don's family's consent.

Medical council graft case: Court grants bail to two

The Delhi High Court on 14 June, 2010 granted bail to two people in a graft case in which former Medical Council of India (MCI) president Ketan Desai is an accused. Justice Mukta Gupta granted bail to Kanwaljit Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, both doctors of a Punjab-based private medical college. Sukwinder Singh is the owner of the Punjab-based medical college. Kanwaljit Singh is a professor in the college. J.P. Singh, an alleged Delhi-based tout, is already out on bail granted by the High court. Now, Desai is the only accused in judicial custody. Desai, the alleged middleman and the doctors of the medical college have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with inducing a public servant to accept bribe, criminal misconduct and payment of money.

• INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Iran asks UN to revise resolution, warns of Legal consequences

Iran urged the United Nations Security Council on 18th June 2010 to revise its Resolution 1929, which slaps new sanctions on the Islamic republic and warned of legal consequences otherwise. The UN Security Council voted last week in favour of a fourth sanctions resolution against Iran over its disputed nuclear activities, which the West fears are aimed towards a nuclear weapons capability.

NZ Sikhs challenge club's turban ban

The Sikh Council of New Zealand announced on Thursday it would take legal action against an Auckland club that will not admit turban-wearing Sikhs to its premises because it bans all forms of headwear. The Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club voted to confirm the "no hats" policy on Sunday, six months after prominent local Sikh Karnail Singh was refused entry to a function in his honour because of his turban.

Legal challenge to ban on Muslim preacher Zakir Naik

An Indian Muslim preacher banned by the home secretary from entering the UK for his "unacceptable behaviour" is to challenge the ruling in the courts. Zakir Naik, a 44-year-old television preacher, had been due to give lectures in Sheffield on 25 June and Wembley Arena the following day. Mr Naik is based in Mumbai, where he works for the Peace TV channel. The home secretary can stop people entering the UK if she believes there is a threat to national security, public order or the safety of citizens.

Interpreting Constitution is judiciary's duty: CJ

Encouraging the 18 newly-enrolled lawyers, Justice Iftikhar said advocates were supposed to help the bench and they must come fully prepared in order to be able to assist the bench in deciding cases in accordance with the Constitution. Earlier, Dr Faqir Hussain, registrar of the Supreme Court, welcomed the newly-enrolled advocates. Eighteen lawyers - 14 from Balochistan, two from Islamabad and one each from Sindh and Punjab - signed the roll at the ceremony held in the Supreme Court building.

Justices block deporting legal immigrants from U.S.

The Supreme Court blocked the government Monday from deporting legal immigrants for minor drug possession charges, ruling that only serious or violent crimes called for removing otherwise law-abiding people from this country. In a 9-0 decision, the justices stopped the deportation of a Texas man who had pleaded guilty at different times to having a marijuana cigarette and a single Xanax pill, a prescription anti-anxiety drug.

Oz: Second arrest in Nitin Garg murder case

Homicide Squad detectives made a second arrest in Melbourne in connection with the murder of Indian student Nitin Garg. The breakthrough in the high-profile case, which threatened to derail India-Australia ties, came yesterday with the police arresting a 16-year-old teenage suspect from Yarraville. The arrest sent shock waves back home despite the police claiming that there was no racial motive in the killing.

US hails AP police officer as anti-trafficking hero

Sattaru Umapathi, an Andhra Pradesh police officer who has led numerous operations across India to rescue victims of human trafficking, has been hailed as a hero by the US state department. Umapathi, the anti-human trafficking officer of the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department, is among nine heroes "around the world who have devoted their lives to the fight against human trafficking" named in the Trafficking in Persons Report 2010 released 15th June, 2010. The annual report has placed India on its Tier 2 Watch List for the seventh consecutive year saying "the Indian government has not demonstrated sufficient progress in its law enforcement, protection, or prevention efforts to address labour trafficking, particularly bonded labour."

LHC suspends operation of FIR against 150 lawyers

Justice Waqar Hassan Mir of the Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi Bench, on 14 June, 2010 suspended the operation of an FIR lodged against 150 lawyers affiliated with the Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) who had been protesting against the demolition of their chambers by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). IDBA Joint Secretary Sardar Mehtab, in his petition before the LHC for quashment of the FIR, has adopted that the Margalla Police have been favouring a shopkeeper in the market, as he has been a stakeholder in the case.