Bengaluru, July 11 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister on Thursday said that he does not know the procedure followed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the multi-crore Tribal Welfare Board case.

“I don’t know what procedure the ED is following in their investigation. It is true that fraud has been committed. We know the facts of the case. We formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case and the misappropriated funds have already been recovered,” the Deputy Chief Minister told media persons.

He said that if the fraud amount exceeds a certain limit then the CBI has the authority to investigate a case. “After all these investigations are completed, the ED can review whether the investigation was conducted properly or not. But the ED did not need to conduct a raid without any complaint,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

He said that the SIT investigation is being conducted independently and the ministers have resigned voluntarily to prevent any disruption in the investigation.

“We have also cross-checked and the ministers have not signed anything. They are not involved. The investigation is being conducted according to the law,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

The opposition has alleged the involvement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the case and also alleged that the Rs 187 crore funds of the Tribal Welfare Board were used to fund elections in Telangana and other states.

The ED has also raided the residences of Nagendra and Basanagouda Daddal related to the case.

The case came to light after the suicide of senior officer Chandrasekaran. He had left a death note alleging that senior officials had forced him to open a parallel account to divert money from the Corporation’s primary account, based on “oral instructions by a minister.”

–IANS

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Jaipur, July 11 (IANS) The absence of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Minister Kirodi Lal Meena during the budget speech has raised many eyebrows.

However, both the leaders spoke briefly about the Rajasthan government’s Budget on their social media handles.

“Bhajan Lal’s Budget is for the welfare of all. This budget dedicated to the people is a document for the development of all sections,” Raje wrote on X.

Kirodi Lal Meena has resigned as Agriculture Minister however the status of his resignation still remains unclear whether it was accepted or not.

“Bhajan Lal government is shaping the future of the youth. Youths have got gifts in the form of employment in this Budget,” Kirodi Lal on the Budget.

Vasundhara Raje and Kirodi Lal Meena have been upset with the party and are trying to distance themselves from the organisation. However, BJP leaders have played down the difference within the party.

Former BJP minister Rajendra Rathore said that Kirodi Lal Meena is an experienced leader and he has resigned but we all have requested the Chief Minister not to accept his resignation.

On the absence of Vasundhara Raje in the Assembly, Rathore said that she could not come to the Assembly due to some personal work.

Congress has also criticised the BJP over the absence of Vasundhara Raje and Kirodi Lal Meena in the Assembly during the Budget.

On Wednesday, Bhajan Lal’s government presented its first full budget in the Assembly.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) The President of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, Deepak Baij, strongly criticised the government over rising crimes in the state and Jagdalpur area in particular.

Baij said that ten such incidents of lawlessness were happening every day across Chhattisgarh, and the BJP government has no control over them.

“Jagdalpur, which serves as the divisional headquarters and district headquarters, is witnessing incidents like knife attacks during the day. This is the third major incident in five days.

“Criminals entered a home at night, tied three people and attacked them with weapons, and hacked them. Two of them died, and one is admitted to the hospital in a critical condition,” he said.

“Criminals are entering people’s homes fearlessly; there cannot be a bigger misfortune for Chhattisgarh than this,” he added.

“The people of Bastar and Jagdalpur are enraged by such incidents. The entire law and order situation in Chhattisgarh has collapsed. I don’t know what kind of good governance the government keeps mentioning. I want to ask whether this is good governance or jungle raj. The government should answer this,” he said.

Reacting to the statement given by PM Narendra Modi about providing gas cylinders for Rs 500 and ‘Modi’s guarantee’, Deepak Baij said that Modi’s guarantee was not just about fulfilling one promise.

“Three lakh youth are yet to be given jobs and employment as promised. I am asking when he will fulfill that guarantee. Apart from this, he has made many announcements, out of which he has fulfilled only two to three promises, which he is calling Modi’s guarantee,” he said.

He further stated that whatever promises and announcements PM Modi made during the Assembly elections, he should fulfill them first and then talk about Modi’s guarantee.

“Modi’s guarantee has completely failed,” he added.

He claimed, “On one side, they increase electricity tariff, on the other hand they give a gas cylinder for Rs 500. If you want to learn how to give from one side and loot with the whole hand, then learn from the BJP.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) A Delhi High Court judge on Thursday recused himself from hearing NIA’s plea seeking the death penalty for Yasin Malik, the chief of banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), who is undergoing a life sentence in a terror funding case.

After Justice Amit Sharma withdrew himself from hearing the case, the bench presided over by Justice Prathiba M. Singh directed the matter to be listed before a different combination on August 9 after obtaining approval from the Acting Chief Justice.

In an earlier order, the Delhi High Court had directed the Jail Superintendent of Tihar Jail to produce Malik from jail through video conferencing (VC) on the next date of hearing.

In May 2022, Malik — who pleaded guilty — was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special NIA court in a terror funding case and was convicted of offences under various sections of IPC.

NIA has appealed the trial court order and has sought the death penalty for Malik. The anti-terror probe agency told the high court during the hearing that the accused was responsible for the Kashmiri Pandits’ exodus from the Valley. Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta had said that Malik avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty “very tactfully”.

“A wider issue troubling us is that any terrorist may come, commit terror activities and the court may say because he has pleaded guilty, we are giving a life sentence. Everyone would come here and avoid trial by pleading guilty because they would know if they enter the trial, hanging is the only result,” he had argued.

In another incident, in July last year, the Supreme Court was stunned to see Malik before it as he appeared for an appeal filed by the CBI against a special Jammu court order calling for his physical appearance for trial in kidnapping and murder cases against him. Later, four prison officers were suspended in the security lapse case.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) The Maharashtra Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2024 to regulate prisons, correctional services and prisoners was tabled by the Shinde government on Thursday in the Assembly.

The Bill was tabled by state Minister Uday Samant and aims to holistically address all relevant issues relating to prison administration as the pre-Independence era archaic laws need to be repealed and replaced by a consolidated, progressive and robust law in tune with contemporary modern-day needs and correctional ideology.

The Bill has proposed categories of prisons such as special prisons, open prisons for women, temporary prisons, open colonies and Boratkar institutions. Open prisons and colonies will assist prisoners in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society after release. There is a provision for the constitution of the Prison and Correctional Services Force, the establishment of a welfare fund for all officers and staff of the prison and prisoners.

It proposes prison segregation of various categories of prisoners and for their special needs such as women, transgender, undertrials, convicted, high-risk prisoners, habitual offenders, recidivist prisoners, young offenders and civil prisoners.

In the wake of the death of an inmate in the prison, it will be mandatory for the medical officer to record all relevant details and particulars of the case and the officer in charge shall immediately inform about the dearth to the concerned Deputy Inspector General and the Director General. They shall inform the National Human Rights Commission and other authorities.

The prison staff or officer, designated by the Superintendent shall examine everything carried in or out of the prison and may stop and search or cause to be searched any person, suspected of bringing any prohibited articles or taking away any property belonging to the prison. If any of such article or property is found, the prison staff or officer shall give immediate intimation to the officer in charge of the prison.

The Director General, the Special Inspector General or the Deputy Inspector General may take disciplinary action against any officer or staff of prison for misconduct.

The Bill has proposed power of arrest without warrant in the case of assaults and damage to the property and any attempts to commit a cognizable office which involves or which is likely to involve imminent danger to the life of any person engaged in carrying on any work related to prisoners of officers and staff of prison or any other person or prison property.

The Director General shall ensure that all prisons are inspected by an officer of appropriate rank at periodic intervals. The government shall constitute a welfare fund for the welfare of all officers and staff and correctional services.

In a serious bid to avoid an unholy nexus between the prison staff and inmates, the Bill has proposed that the officers and staff and their relatives shall not have any business dealings with prisoners and interest in prison contracts directly or indirectly. They shall not accept any gift from a prisoner or prisoners’ relatives or friends or a person having any dealings with the prisons.

Similarly, it will be mandatory for the prisoners to strictly follow rules about discipline. In the case of a breach, the officer in charge will have powers to impose punishments for committing prison offences, including unauthorised use or possession of wireless communication devices, mobile phones, electronic devices, tress-passing or attempting to trespass, loitering in and around the prison premises where the entry is prohibited, unauthorised communication with any person outside prison, smuggling or attempt to smuggle of any prohibited article, participation or organisation of anti-social activities like gambling and betting and sexual harassment or sodomy.

According to the Bill, separate enclosures or wards for women and transgender prisoners both trans men and trans women may be provided and they shall be provided access to healthcare and correctional programmes.

Further, the Bill has proposed aftercare rehabilitation services to all needy prisoners released from prison with a view to ensuring their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

–IANS

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