News Analysis India

Tag: Times Group

  • Hemant Soren drops plea against arrest after SC questions ‘conduct’

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticised Hemant Soren for his “blameworthy conduct” of not disclosing complete facts in a plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) even as the former Jharkhand chief minister’s counsel withdrew the plea.

    A vacation bench headed by Justice Dipankar Datta verbally observed that Soren had availed “parallel remedies” by filing two separate pleas, one challenging his arrest and another seeking bail, but did not disclose it to the top court.

    Soren also did not disclose that his regular bail already stands dismissed by the trial court, the bench observed.It disapproved of the “crafty drafting” of Soren’s petition and told senior advocate Kapil Sibal that the court expected “some candour from your client”.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesSibal said it was his own mistake and not of Soren. “It is my personal fault and not of my client,” he told the bench. “The client is in jail and we are lawyers acting for him. Our intention was never to mislead the court and we have never done it.”Speaking for the bench, Justice Datta verbally observed that it appears that “the person in custody is not acting with bona fide”.To this, Sibal responded that Soren “is not in touch with us. It is not his (Soren) fault at all”.Sibal withdrew the plea after the bench said it would dismiss the same.

    Pointing out factual dissimilarities between the case of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Soren, both challenging their arrest by Enforcement Directorate (ED), the apex court on Tuesday had sought to know whether Soren’s plea would be maintainable especially after his regular bail has been rejected and the fact that a special court has taken cognisance of a prosecution complaint (equivalent of a charge sheet) filed by ED against Soren and other accused.

  • Jammu & Kashmir: After high voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls, CEC now ‘encouraged’ to ‘go for assembly polls at the earliest’

    The Election Commission of India is “encouraged” by high voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir and will move towards holding assembly polls in the Union Territory “at the earliest”, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar has said.In a first such statement, the CEC told ET that ECI was “heartened” and “more confident” of holding polls in the Union Territory and would start work on it right after the Lok Sabha elections.”The commission is encouraged to go for assembly polls in the Union Territory at the earliest possible. For the same, the process will be initiated soon after parliamentary elections,” Kumar told ET.”While I would like to thank the electors of J&K for coming out to vote, they have also sent out a clear message. The people of J&K are eager to exercise their franchise and feel invested in the democratic ethos and system of governance. The poll panel is deeply encouraged by the voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls and will work towards holding assembly polls at the earliest,” he said.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe CEC’s reaction came hours after Baramulla parliamentary constituency reported a record turnout on Monday. Phase 4 turnout in Srinagar constituency at 38.49% was highest in many decades.In his March 16 press conference when schedules for Lok Sabha elections were announced, CEC had asserted that ECI was committed to holding assembly polls in J&K soon after the parliamentary polls and before the September 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court.