Le Journal

The Supreme Court told the Election Commission to publish the names of 1.2 crore persons against whom the poll panel had raised “logical discrepancy” objections during the special intensive revision in West Bengal. The names should be displayed in gram panchayats, block offices and ward offices, the court said.Logical discrepancies include a mismatch in parents’ names, low age gap with parents and cases where parents have more than six children.The court said that persons who had received notices from the Election Commission can submit their documents or objections through booth-level agents. If the documents submitted as proof are found to be unsatisfactory, the persons should be given an opportunity to be heard, the court said.The court also verbally observed that the Class 10 admit card issued by the state education board must be accepted as a proof in the enumeration process. Read on.The Supreme Court told the Madhya Pradesh government to decide within two weeks on granting the sanction to prosecute Bharatiya Janata Party leader and state minister Vijay Shah for his remarks allegedly targeting Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. The court noted that the Special Investigation Team it formed in May had filed its report and had been awaiting the approval from the state government.Colonel Qureshi was among the...Read more

Former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on Sunday said that bail before conviction should be a matter of right, but added that courts need to examine cases in depth when national security is involved, PTI reported.Chandrachud made the remark at the Jaipur Literature Festival after he was asked by the debate moderator about his views on the Supreme Court denying bail to activist Umar Khalid in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.“They’ve been inside for five years,” ANI quoted Chandrachud as saying. “I’m not criticising my court...you can impose conditions to ensure that the conditions for bail are not abused, but you must necessarily take into consideration that they have the right to an expeditious trial. And if an expeditious trial is not possible under present conditions, then bail should be the rule and not the exception.”However, the former chief justice said that bail can be denied if there is a possibility of the accused person committing another crime, tampering with evidence or escaping.“If these three grounds are not present, then bail must be granted,” PTI quoted Chandrachud as saying. “I think that where national security is involved, it is the court’s duty to examine the case in depth. Otherwise, what is happening is that people remain imprisoned for years.”Read more

The Supreme Court on Monday told the Madhya Pradesh government to decide within two weeks on granting the sanction to prosecute Bharatiya Janata Party leader and state minister Vijay Shah for his remarks allegedly targeting Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Live Law reported.A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Deepankar Datta and Joymalya Bagchi noted that the Special Investigation Team the court had formed in May had filed its report and was awaiting sanction from the state government.The sanction from the state government is necessary for the court to take cognisance of the offence under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to promotion of communal hatred and ill will.The matter pertains to remarks made by the BJP leader at an event in Mhow on May 13.Shah had said that those who had widowed the daughters of India had been taught a lesson by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “by sending the sister from their own community”. He repeated the remark immediately after saying it the first time.While the BJP leader did not name a person, Opposition parties had alleged that the minister was alluding to Qureshi, one of the spokespersons during the media briefings relating to Operation Sindoor held by the external affairs ministry and the defence ministry.On May 14, the Madhya Pradesh High Court...Read more

The United States has invited India and Pakistan to join President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, which Washington has described as a global initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, initially focusing on Gaza.It was not clear whether New Delhi has agreed to join the initiative.A contribution of $1 billion secures permanent membership on the board instead of a three-year appointment, AP reported quoting an unidentified US official. The three-year appointment does not require any contribution.The Board of Peace will be part of the second phase of a US-backed ceasefire proposal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. A United Nations Security Council resolution in November authorised the Board of Peace to oversee Gaza at least until the end of 2027.Trump has extended invitations to about 60 countries, Al Jazeera reported. This includes Turkey, Egypt, Argentina, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, Britain, Germany, Canada and Australia.Sharing Trump’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media on Sunday, the US ambassador to New Delhi, Sergio Gor, said that the board “will support effective governance to achieve stability and prosperity”.In the letter dated Friday, Trump said the board was a “critically historic and magnificent effort to solidify peace” in West Asia and to embark on a “bold new approach to resolving global conflict”.The US president also said that...Read more