Daily wrap: Nirav denied bail; DMK leader held on misbehaviour charge
Nirav Modi denied bail again by London court
A UK court rejected Nirav Modi’s second bail application on March 29, saying there are “substantial grounds” to believe the fugitive diamantaire will fail to surrender. The 48-year-old was brought to the dock to be produced before Westminster Magistrates Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot and sat behind a glass enclosure as the hearing got underway.
Rejecting Modi’s bail plea after hearing both defence and prosecution, Judge Arbuthnot said his attempt to try and seek citizenship of Vanuatu, a remote island country located in the South Pacific Ocean, shows he was trying to move away from India at an important time. “There are substantial grounds to believe he will fail to surrender,” said the judge, who fixed April 26 as the next date of hearing. Modi will appear via video link from jail at the next hearing.
SC approves life term for Saravana Bhavan owner in murder case
The Supreme Court confirmed life imprisonment for P Rajagopalan, the founder and former head of the hotel chain Saravana Bhavan, in the 2001 murder of Prince Santhakumar. Based on a complaint by Jeevajothi, wife of the victim, the police registered a case against eight men and the subsequent investigation pointed to Rajagopal’s involvement. His lawyers appealed for bail citing medical reasons, enabling his release within 11 months, but the SC stayed the life sentence.
Actor Dileep moves HC challenging dismissal of plea seeking CBI probe
Malayalam actor Dileep, an accused in the abduction and sexual assault on an actress in February 2017, filed an appeal in the Kerala High Court challenging the dismissal of his plea seeking a CBI probe into the case on March 27. In his appeal before a single-judge bench, Dileep submitted that he was falsely implicated in the case. Citing various supreme court judgments, he said the false implication of a person in a criminal offence was the worst form of injustice.
DMK leader held on charge of misbehaving with woman
The Salem railway police arrested R Chandran, a DMK state-level functionary, on March 27, on the charge of misbehaving with a woman on March 8. The police said Chandran was travelling on a train from Chennai to Coimbatore when the alleged incident occurred. Police sources said Chandran was on an upper berth. He, in all probability, could have inadvertently stepped on the woman sleeping right below as he tried to get off the allotted berth. The woman raised an alarm and the passengers pulled the emergency chain to stop the train. Subsequently, Chandran and his friends were taken to the Salem Railway police.
SC to Guj govt: take action in Bilkis Bano case
The Supreme Court on March 29 asked the Gujarat government to complete disciplinary action against erring police officials convicted by the Gujarat High Court in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case. Bano, before the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, refused to accept the ₹5 lakh compensation offered by the Gujarat government.
Five Indian expats listed on Forbes billionaires list
Five Indian expats in the UAE have been listed on the Forbes billionaires list for 2019. The combined worth of the five expats, including three from Kerala, is a whopping $15.1 billion (₹1.04 trillion), the Khaleej Times reported. Prominent retail business tycoon MA Yusuff Ali, who ranks 394 on the list, is the richest Indian expat in UAE with assets estimated over $4.7 billion.
Eight killed, 20 hurt as bus rams truck in Noida
Eight people were killed on March 29 when a privately-operated bus rammed a stationary truck on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida. Another 20 people on board the bus were injured and were rushed to a private hospital for treatment, the police said. Officials in Lucknow said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed the Gautam Buddh Nagar police and the civic administration to expedite assistance to the victims.
