आजम को हाईकोर्ट का नोटिस, मुजफ्फरनगर में फिर तनाव

मुजफ्फरनगर: यूपी के मुज़फ्फरनगर के नई मंडी इलाके में बुधवार देर शाम दूकान से घर लौट रहे एक सैलून चलाने वाले की बाइक सवार कुछ लोगों ने गोली मारकर हत्या कर दी.

इलाके में घटना के बाद से तनाव है और अलग से पुलिस फोर्स तैनात की गई है. हाल ही में मुजफ्फरनगर में हुई हिंसा में 62 लोगों की मौत हुई और हजारों लोग बेघर हो गए.

जस्टिस सिरियक जोसफ की अध्यक्षता में राष्ट्रीय मानवाधिकार आयोग की एक टीम आज दंगा प्रभावित मुज़फ्फरनगर और शामली का दौरा करेगी. ये टीम राज्य सरकार के राहत और पुनर्वास के कामों का भी जायजा लेगी.

आजम को हाईकोर्ट का नोटिस

मुजफ्फऱनगर दंगा केस में इलाहाबाद हाईकोर्ट ने यूपी के शहरी विकास मंत्री आजम खान को नोटिस जारी कर तीन हफ्ते में जवाब मांगा है. दंगों में लापरवाही बरतने के आऱोप में निलंबित पुलिस वालों की अर्जी पर आजम के खिलाफ नोटिस जारी हुआ है.

इलाहाबाद हाईकोर्ट ने मुजफ्फरनगर जिले में उस थाने के प्रभारी के निलंबन पर रोक लगा दी है जहां से दो युवकों की हत्या के सात आरोपियों की रिहाई के बाद सांप्रदायिक हिंसा भड़की थी.

इसके साथ ही हाईकोर्ट ने इन आरोपियों की रिहाई के लिए कथित तौर पर दबाव बनाने के मामले में उत्तर प्रदेश के कैबिनेट मंत्री आजम खान को नोटिस जारी किया.

न्यायमूर्ति सुधीर अग्रवाल ने फुगाना के थाना प्रभारी ओम वीर सिंह सिरोही के निलंबन पर रोग लगा दी और खान से कहा कि वह नोटिस मिलने के 10 दिनों के भीतर अपना हलफनामा दायर करें. राज्य सरकार से दो सप्ताह के भीतर जवाब देने के लिए कहा गया है.

याचिकाकर्ता का कहना था कि दो युवकों की हत्या के मामले में बीते 28 अगस्त को सात आरोपियों को गिरफ्तार करके फुगाना थाने में लाया गया था, ‘लेकिन आजम खान के दबाव के कारण उन्हें तत्काल रिहा कर दिया गया.’

fodder scam case, Lalu Prasad Yadav convicted, faces disqualification as MP; sentencing set for October 3

A CBI designated court delivered its verdict in a fodder scam case involving Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The court found Lalu guilty. Besides the RJD chief 44 other persons were also found guilty in one of the five fodder scam cases.
A lawyer announced that the quantum of punishment will be announced on October 3 and is set to be more than 4 years.
As Yadav's lawyer completed arguments in the case on September 17, special CBI Judge PK Singh will pronounce the judgment in the case No RC 20 A/96 today. Yadav moved the Jharkhand High Court and later the Supreme Court, seeking change of the judge in the case. Both the courts dismissed his petition, and directed him to complete argument in the case before the CBI court. Yadav had in his petition alleged that trial court judge PK Singh was biased against him as he is a relative of PK Shahi, Education Minister in the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar, "who is his (Yadav''s) biggest political enemy".
Authorities in Bihar sounded an alert across the state, apprehending trouble after the court pronounced verdict in a multi-crore fodder scam case involving Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The case pertains to alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the 1990s. The FIR was lodged by Bihar government in February 1996 but the case was transferred to CBI a month later. CBI had investigated the scam for a year and the charge sheet was filed in 1997. The charges were framed in 2000 following which the Special CBI court commenced trial against Lalu Yadav and 44 other accused.
RJD's plea had faced stiff opposition from JD-U leader Rajiv Ranjan who submitted that it would be a ‘travesty of justice’ if the judge is transferred at the far end of the trial. He submitted that it would give a wrong impression to the entire country if the judge is transferred and raised a question on RJD supremo's petition seeking transfer of the judge who has been hearing the case since 2011.
The fodder scam also known as "Chara Ghotala" involved the siphoning of funds from the Bihar Government treasury. The alleged theft spanned over several years, and many Bihar state government administrative and elected officials across multiple administrations were allegedly engaged in it.
Additionally, there are also allegations that they were involved in the fabrication of "vast herds of fictitious livestock" for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured. The fodder scam was unearthed in Bihar in 1996 when Lalu Prasad was the Chief Minister of the state. He had resigned from the post in 1997 after a court issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with one of the cases.
Besides the RJD supremo, other accused persons include former Bihar Chief Minister Mishra and JD(U) MP Jagdish Sharma.

The judgement in the fodder scam is likely to have a bearing on Bihar politics, as the RJD chief will face immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member if convicted as per a Supreme Court order that an MP or legislator would stand disqualified immediately if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more.

The government later promulgated an ordinance to undo the apex court order, prompting opposition BJP to allege that it had been done to protect Lau Prasad Yadav in case he is indicted in the fodder scam.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has, however, slammed the ordinance as "complete nonsense" which should be "torn up and thrown away," leaving its fate uncertain.
The RJD chief faces immediate disqualification as Lok Sabha member under a recent Supreme Court order that an MP or MLA would stand disqualified immediately if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more and under some other laws even without jail sentence.

The August judgement of the Supreme Court struck down a provision in the electoral law that provided protection to sitting MPs and MLAs by allowing them to continue in their posts if they appeal against a lower court conviction and secure a stay of the order.

Lalu would have got protection from disqualification if the ordinance promulgated by the Centre was cleared by President Pranab Mukherjee but he is said to have some reservations and raised questions over it.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi has compounded problems by attacking the ordinance and calling for its withdrawal, virtually sealing its fate.

RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said they would challenge the order in a higher court after the sentence is known.

Lalu Prasad convicted in fodder scam case

The RJD supremo faces immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member as per a Supreme Court order

A special CBI court here on Monday has convicted former Bihar Chief Minster and RJD leader Lalu Prasad in the in the multi-crore fodder scam case.

Now, Mr. Prasad faces immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member.

43 other accused, including six politicians and four IAS officers, were also convicted for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury n the 1990s in a case lodged by CBI.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence to the convicts on October 3.

Earlier, the RJD chief and another accused, former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, earlier arrived at the CBI Court here. Accompanied by son Tejaswi Pratap and a host of party colleagues, 65-year-old Prasad arrived here on Sunday.

Besides the RJD supremo, other accused persons include former Bihar Chief Minister Mishra and JD (U) MP Jagdish Sharma.

The RJD chief will face immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member as per a Supreme Court order that an MP or legislator would stand disqualified immediately if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more.

The government was about to promulgate an ordinance to undo the apex court order, prompting opposition BJP to allege that it had been done to protect Congress member in Rajya Sabha Rashid Masood, who was recently convicted in a corruption case and also Prasad in case he is indicted in the fodder scam.

However, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, slammed the ordinance as “complete nonsense” which should be “torn up and thrown away,” leaving its fate uncertain.