SC raps Gujarat govt over slow trial in rape case against Asaram Bapu

The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Gujarat government over the slow pace of trial in the rape case involving self-styled godman Asaram Bapu.

A bench comprising justices N V Ramanna and Amitava Roy asked the state government why the victim has not been examined till now.

It asked the state government to file an affidavit in this regard and posted the matter for further hearing after Diwali.

The apex court had on April 12 asked the trial court in Gujarat to expedite the recording of evidence of prosecution witnesses in a sexual assault case lodged by two Surat-based sisters against the self-styled godman.

The court had asked the Surat trial court to record the testimonies of 46 remaining prosecution witnesses including the alleged rape victims.

Earlier, the top court had refused to grant bail to Asaram on various grounds including his poor health in two separate sexual assault cases lodged in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The apex court, while dismissing his bail plea on January 30, had observed that Asaram had placed a "fictitious document" to persuade the court to grant him bail and had ordered registration of an FIR against those responsible for preparing and filing the alleged fake papers.

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Hardik Patel to return to Gujarat with mega rally at Himmatnagar

Latest News - With his 180 days exile ending, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel will mark his return to Gujarat on Tuesday by addressing a rally in Himmatnagar.

The Patidar community members have organised a huge welcome with over 500 cars cavalcade at Ratanpur on the border of Patel's home state, while he will address a rally in Himmatnagar in the afternoon.

Patel's Himmatnagar rally is being termed as 'GMDC part two', in a clear reference to his massive rally at Ahmedabad in August 2015.

"Himmatnagar rally will be part two of GMDC. Hardik will take up reservation issue and will also demand justice for those killed in police firing during the violence that ensued after GMDC rally. This rally will reignite quota agitation in Gujarat," Dinesh Bambhaniya, PAAS leader, said.

Over 100,000 community members are expected to join the Himmatnagar rally, followed by Patel's visit to former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel. From there, Patel will depart for Pune where he is supposed to address a student convention.

The agitating Patidar community leader after been exiled from Gujarat, had made Udaipur in Rajasthan his base for the last six months. 

Ahead of his departure from Udaipur, Patel addressed a press conference on Monday, taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government. "If the BJP government cannot kill me, I may be sent to jail for 14 years. But then when I come out at 36, I will have ample time to serve the community," Patel said.(Read More)

270 days after Bihar liquor ban, major crimes up 13%

During a recent visit to Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his Bihar Alcohol Ban policy in Bihar. He said: “I greet Nitish Kumar from the core of my heart for launching a campaign against liquor. But, this work (prohibition) would not be a grand success only by efforts of Nitish Kumar or one party. All the political parties, social organisations and citizens have to participate in it to make it a ‘jan-jan ka andolan‘ (people’s movement).”

In April 2016, Kumar announced a ban on the sale and consumption of country liquor in the state. The ban was one of Kumar’s key poll promises made to women voters–who rallied behind him strongly, as this Mint report indicates–during the 2015 assembly elections.

Thirty days after the ban, Kumar claimed that the crime was down 27% , according to his analysis of crime data from April 2016 and April 2015.

Nine months–or 270 days–into the ban, an IndiaSpend analysis of Bihar Police crime data, reveals that cognizable crime–which the police can investigate without a magistrate’s order–rose 13% between April and October 2016, from 14,279 in April to 16,153 in October.(Read More)