Top stories October 26 in a capsule
CBI Controversy: SC seeks inquiry; Gandhi courts arrest as Cong stages protests
Hearing the petition of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Alok Verma on Friday, the Supreme Court gave the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) a two week time period to complete the investigation against the advance leave served to Verma. The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi also said that interim CBI director M Nageswar Rao should not allowed to take any major decisions and just carry out routine tasks. Meanwhile, the Congress Party held protest outside CBI offices across the country, while party President Rahul Gandhi along with senior party leaders were detained outside the CBI headquarters in Janpath, Delhi after they courted arrest. "Changing the CBI director will not work. They can arrest me as many times as they want,” Gandhi said while speaking to media agencies from Lodhi Colony police station. The BJP slammed Gandhi for politicizing the issue and said Congress has ‘run out of issues.’
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Kerala Police on Friday arrested at least 2000 people protesting against the Sabarimala verdict of Supreme Court allowing 10-50 years age group into the shrine. After the arrests, State Police Chief Loknath Behera said, “We have registered 440 cases in last two days against the violent incidents occurred across the state.” The move comes a day after the police had released photographs of over 200 suspected people who created a ruckus over the entry of women into the temple. The state had witnessed high-octane drama over a period of five days starting October 17 when protesters resorted to physically assaulting women who tried to enter the temple premises. Chief Minister will reportedly hold a review meeting with the police on October 29.
Sabarimala controversy: Over 2000 people arrested for mass protests across Kerala
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A day after the midnight raid by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on the human rights organisation, Amnesty India on Friday said that it is a target of the Central government assault on civil society. At least 5 ED on Amnesty India conducted raids for 10 hours in Bengaluru on Thursday and their bank accounts were also frozen. The raids were conducted over the allegations that it had received Rs 36 crore till date from the foreign funding sources. Amnesty India Executive Director Aakar Patel said that “ED raids in our office today shows how the authorities are now treating human rights organization like criminal enterprises.”____________________
Treating Human rights organization like criminal enterprises: Amnesty International
A day after the midnight raid by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on the human rights organisation, Amnesty India on Friday said that it is a target of the Central government assault on civil society. At least 5 ED on Amnesty India conducted raids for 10 hours in Bengaluru on Thursday and their bank accounts were also frozen. The raids were conducted over the allegations that it had received Rs 36 crore till date from the foreign funding sources. Amnesty India Executive Director Aakar Patel said that “ED raids in our office today shows how the authorities are now treating human rights organization like criminal enterprises.”____________________
Hafiz Saeed’s JUD, FIF no longer banned in Pakistan
A lapsed Presidential ordinance in Pakistan released Mumbai 26/11 attack mastermind and United Nation designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD) and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) from the list of banned terrorist outfits, on Friday. Earlier in February 2018, former Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain had circulated an ordinance to change the Anti-Terrorism Act 1977 in order to ban certain terrorist individuals and organizations listed by the UN Security Council, under which JUD and FIF were also prohibited. A petition filed by Saeed’s legal team on Friday stated since the Imran Khan government did not extend the ordinance, they now stand vindicated. This move may hurt the financial status of Pakistan after the USA government had cancelled a $3oo million aid to Pakistan claiming the country failed to take ‘decisive action against militants.’
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Jammu and Kashmir: 2 militants, one soldier killed in an encounter
Two militants were killed while an army jawan was martyred during an encounter on Friday in Baramulla district of Jammu & Kashmir. The fight broke out after a search operation was conducted by Rashtriya Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Operation Group (SOG) a day after 6 militants were killed in separate encounters in two districts. Defence Spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said, “The search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon the search forces who retaliated.” The soldier identified as Lance Naik Brijesh Kumar was injured but succumbed to them in a Srinagar hospital. Following the attack, state authorities have ordered of shut down of schools, colleges in the town on Friday.
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