Top stories on 24 August in a capsule
Keep water level at Mullaperiyar dam down, SC to Tamil Nadu after Kerala’s complaint
A day after Kerala blamed Tamil Nadu for the floods, the Supreme Court on Friday asked Tamil Nadu to keep the water levels in Mullaperiyar reservoir a little over 139 feet until August 31. Kerala government had blamed that the floods in their state occurred because of the sudden release of water from Mullaperiyar dam by Tamil Nadu government. Tamil Nadu government told the court that Kerala's contention is misplaced as the water from Mullaperiyar reservoir was released only on August 16, whereas the floods in Kerala started about ten days earlier. TN CM Palaniswami lashed out at Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and accused it of spreading wrong information to stop TN from raising dam storage.
CBI submits documentary of Mumbai jail in London court in Vijay Mallya case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a 6-8 minute long video documentary highlighting the facilities in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail in front of a London court in connection to the Vijay Mallya extradition case as reported by NDTV. The video was prepared after fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya complained about the condition of Indian jails and considering the request the court then had asked the CBI to prove if the jails were hygienic. The video of Barrack Number 12 of Mumbai's Arthur Road jail which is the prospective residence of fugitive tycoon Vijay Mallya shows a television set, personal toilet and bedding, a washing area and a courtyard to take a stroll in the sunlight. "The court wanted us to show if Indian jails are hygienic. We have given them proof of the hygiene level and medical facilities available in jail. In fact, the barrack in which Mr. Mallya would be lodged is east-facing so it has a lot of sunlight too," a senior level official told NDTV.
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20 people get life imprisonment in Haryana’s Dalit killing case by Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court on Friday sentenced 20 people to life imprisonment in the Mirchupur violence case of 2010 where two Dalits were burnt alive in Haryana by the Jat community. The Delhi High Court overturned the acquittal of 20 persons and also upheld the conviction of 13 persons by the trial court and enhanced the punishment of some of the convicts. The high court today convicted and sentenced 17 more people. On April 21, 2010, Tara Chand, a 70-year-old Dalit man, and his 17-year-old polio-stricken daughter Suman were burnt alive by members of the upper caste in Mirchpur, Haryana. The group also burnt down several homes. Following which, many Dalits had fled the village. The High Court said that despite 70 years of independence, it is embarrassing to see that such violence is still inflicted upon Dalits in the country.
Scott Morrison becomes Australia's PM, as ruling party ousts Turnbull
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The Supreme Court on Friday, giving a big relief to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) declared that all of the seats won by its party in the Panchayat elections will not be contested. The CPI(M) and BJP had appealed in the top court to hold re-election in 20,000 uncontested seats that were won unopposed by TMC candidates. The Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices AM Khanwilkar, and DY Chandrachud, however, asked the state government to consider petitions of those who alleged that they were restricted from filing nominations by TMC workers. The SC also asked the West Bengal government to file a reply on the plea made by BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia for a CBI probe in the murders of three BJP workers in the state.
SC rules no re-elections for uncontested seats of West Bengal Panchayat polls
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