Kurian Joseph Sworn In As New CJ Of Himachal HC

Governor Urmila Singh today swore in Justice Kurian Joseph as the new Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhawan here. In the absence of Chief Secretary Asha Swarop, Officiating Chief Secretary Harinder Hira read out he warrant of appointment of the new Chief Justice. Those who attended the swearing in ceremony included Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Speaker Tulsi Ram, state Congress President Kaul Singh Thakur, Lokayukta Bhawani Singh, judges of the high court and other dignitaries. Following the transfer of Justice Jagdish Bhalla as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court in August, 2009, Justice RB Mishra, the senior most judge has been the officiating as the Acting Chief Justice of Himachal, since then.

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Teachers End Protest As Govt Allows Them To Reappear In Examination

Tragic Tale: Kiranjit Kaur succumbs to burn injuries in Ludhiana hospital

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84' Riots Cases: Probe Agencies Agree To Appoint SPP

The CBI and the Delhi police today agreed to appoint Special Public Prosecutors to handle the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases before the Delhi High Court, which directed the lower court to conclude the hearing of the cases within six months. The investigating agency informed the court that senior advocates have been appointed as Public Prosecutors to handle the cases. The agencies’ response came after the Delhi High Court pulled them up for treating the cases in an insensitive way and asked the CBI director to appoint senior advocates as special public prosecutors on the lines of Gujarat riots cases. Advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for CBI, informed the High Court that senior advocate R S Cheema and Y K Saxena have been appointed to handle trial court cases while Additional Solicitor General A S Chandhiok will be handling 84’riots cases in the High Court.

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Rathore Stabbed In Face By NID Student Outside Court

Former Haryana DGP, convicted in the Ruchika molestation case, returns to the court with a walking stick and sporting a bandage for the post-lunch proceedings

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Andhra HC Strikes Down Law On Quota For Muslims

A Constitution bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court today struck down a state law providing 4 per cent reservation in educational institutions and jobs to 15 groups belonging to the Muslim community. The order was passed by the seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Anil Ramesh Dave on a petition filed by an advocate K Kondala Rao. Soon after the court’s order, Chief Minister K Rosaiah directed the state advocate general D S R Murthy to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict. “The state government is committed to providing 4 per cent reservation to backward class Muslims in the state,” he said in a statement.

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MAMC Gangrape Case: HC Awards Life Term To Prime Convict

The Delhi High Court today sentenced the prime convict in the 2002 Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) student rape case to life imprisonment. Observing that the accused, Rahul, had acted “not only as a beast but even acted savage,” a bench headed by Justice Pradeep Nandrajog upheld the trial court verdict which had sentenced him to life imprisonment. The court, however, acquitted the other convict Amit on charges of rape and directed the police to release him as he had already undergone seven years of imprisonment. The convicts — Rahul and his accomplice Amit — were held guilty of raping a medical student by a trial court in January 2005.

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Govt Pegs Economic Growth Rate At 7.2% This Fiscal

This is lower than 7.5-8 per cent projected by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee

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17 Armymen Killed, 17 Injured As Avalanche Hits J&K

In one of the most tragic incidents, 17 army personnel, including an officer, were today killed and 17 seriously injured when a group of about 350 men were swept away by a snow avalanche while setting up a winter warfare camp at Khilanmarg, 70 km from here. An army spokesman, Colonel J S Brar, said that scores more were still missing as rescuers were searching for them in deep snow. Seventy personnel have been rescued, he said. The dead included an officer, Lt Prateek, and twelve other ranks from the Army’s prestigious High Altitude Warfare School, he said. Some of those seriously injured are in a critical condition in a hospital in the scenic tourist spot of Gulmarg.

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