Tag: arrest

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SC questions timing of Kejriwal’s arrest

The bench stressed the importance of “Life and liberty are exceedingly important. You can’t deny that,” as they questioned Solicitor General S V Raju…reports Asian Lite News

In a courtroom drama that unfolded on Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed its focus towards the Enforcement Directorate (ED), seeking clarification on the timing behind the arrest of Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal. The fiery exchange came amidst a plea lodged by Kejriwal against his arrest in the Delhi excise policy case, with the apex court asserting that liberty is “very exceedingly important”.

“Liberty is very exceedingly important, you can’t deny that. The last question is with regard to the timing of the arrest, which they (Arvind Kejriwal’s lawyer) have pointed out, the timing of the arrest, soon before the general elections,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna told ASG SV Raju.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, stirring controversy and raising eyebrows across political circles. The ongoing legal saga saw the Delhi High Court recently upholding Kejriwal’s arrest, citing his alleged non-cooperation with the investigative proceedings.

Prior to yesterday’s courtroom observation, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, alleged that MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy (MSR) was pressured into levelling accusations against Kejriwal, purportedly in exchange for bail for his son, Raghav.

“MSR’s sudden change of heart, under duress, led to a false narrative implicating Kejriwal. The sequence of events raises serious questions about the integrity of the investigation,” Singhvi said.

Singhvi further highlighted the peculiar timeline of events, juxtaposing Kejriwal’s arrest with the earlier detention of his aide, Vijay Nair, in November 2022.

The ED has accused AAP leaders of receiving Rs 100 crore as kickbacks from a group of politicians and businessmen, called South Group, for making the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy favourable to their business interests.

On Monday, Singhvi reiterated the fundamental principle of justice, arguing that Kejriwal’s alleged disregard for summonses did not warrant his deprivation of liberty.  “You (ED) have to demonstrate the necessity of arrest based on material available with the investigating agency,” he said.

“ED’s power to arrest is not an obligation to arrest. There must be a reason to believe, there has to be some new material or a link that connects Kejriwal directly or something. They arrested him (Kejriwal) after the model code of conduct was in place. He was neither accused nor suspect till March 2024,” he added.

Court dismisses Sisodia’s bail plea

Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday dismissed the second bail petition of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in both CBI and ED cases on the Delhi excise policy case.

He had sought regular bail in ED and CBI cases on the grounds of delay in trial. This is the second time when his bail plea has been dismissed by the court. His first bail plea in the CBI case was rejected on March 31, 2023. On April 28, the trial court rejected his bail application in the ED case.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed the bail plea of Manish Sisodia after considering the submissions and material on record. The detailed bail order is yet to be uploaded.

Sisodia has been in custody since 26 February 2023 after arrest by the CBI. Thereafter, he was arrested by the CBI. On April 20, the court reserved an order for the regular bail pleas of Manish Sisodia.

He sought regular bail in CBI and ED cases related to the Delhi excise policy case. While opposing the bail plea the CBI said that while rejecting his bail, the court had made certain observations. His bail was also dismissed by the Supreme Court.

Advocate Vivek Jain appeared for Manish Sisodia, Zoheb Hossain for ED, Pankaj Gupta for the CBI. CBI’s Prosecutor Pankaj Gupta while opposing the bail said that Sisodia is the main accused in the case, he is not entitled to bail.

He further said that the accused is a powerful political person. The investigation is at the nascent stage. It was further submitted that there are allegations of destruction of evidence and misuse of power which may hamper the probe.

Pankaj Gupta referred to former PM Manmohan Singh who said that corruption is cancer for the society.

On April 6, While opposing the plea the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had said that there was no delay caused on the part of the Prosecution. Rather it was caused by the accused persons by filing frivolous applications in the Delhi excise policy case, the ED said before the Rouse Avenue court.

The main thrust of arguments by counsel for Manish Sisodia was the delay in trial. It was argued that trial proceedings are going at a snail’s pace.

ED’s special counsel Zoheb Hossain opposed the argument of delay. Hossain submitted that the trial has not proceeded at a snail’s pace and there has been no delay from the prosecution side.

There are 95 applications moved by 31 accused persons, Hossain argued. “There is a delay by the accused persons and not by the Prosecution,” Hossain Submitted.

ALSO READ-BJP compares Kejriwal with Escobar

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-Top News Europe

Forbes journalist placed under house arrest in Russia

According to CNN, his lawyer said that Mingazov was accused of spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian armed forces “under the guise” of reliable reporting…reports Asian Lite News

A journalist working for the Russian edition of the US magazine Forbes has been placed under house arrest after being detained for allegedly spreading “fake news” about the armed forces, reported CNN, citing Russian state-run RIA news agency on Saturday.

The journalist, identified as Sergey Mingazov, was ordered into house arrest for two months as he awaits trial after being detained on Friday.

Mingazov’s lawyer, Konstantin Bubon, said on Friday that the journalist had been detained for “reposting a publication about the events in Bucha (Ukraine)” on Telegram, as reported by CNN.

Mingazov’s Telegram channel had 476 subscribers at the time of publishing this article. It shows that he reposted stories about the Russian military allegedly committing atrocities in Bucha, near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, from other news outlets such as the BBC’s Russian outlet and Radio Freedom.

According to CNN, his lawyer said that Mingazov was accused of spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian armed forces “under the guise” of reliable reporting.

The city of Bucha, which was under Russian occupation since the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, was liberated by Ukrainian forces by the end of March of the same year.

According to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office, thousands of war crimes were committed by the Russian army in the Bucha district, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.

Despite evidence presented, the Kremlin denies any involvement in the mass killings, dismissing the images of civilian casualties as fabricated.

Bubon told Forbes Russia that Mingazov’s house arrest was enforced as a “preventative measure.” In Russia, preventative measures take place pre-trial and include being remanded in custody, released on bail, or placed under house arrest.

Furthermore, Bubon stated that the court had prohibited Mingazov from accessing the internet and had imposed limitations on his interactions with individuals beyond relatives, investigators, lawyers, and medical professionals.

On Saturday, without naming Mingazov, Khabarovsk territory’s Investigative Committee stated that it had chosen house arrest “as a preventative measure,” after charging a man with the public dissemination of knowingly false information about the Russian armed forces.

Since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has intensified its crackdown on journalists. Notable figures such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty editor Alsu Kurmasheva and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich have been arrested.

Additionally, courts have issued arrest warrants in absentia for several journalists, including Alexander Nevzorov, Dmitry Gordon, and Marina Ovsyannikova, for their critical remarks about the state.

On Saturday, a local Russian court press service said that Konstantin Gabov, a Russian journalist it said worked as a producer for the Reuters news agency, was detained and accused of “extremism.” (ANI)

ALSO READ-Russian Forces Claim Shooting Down 17 Ukrainian Drones

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-Top News India News Politics

INDIA bloc to rally against Kejriwal’s arrest

Congress leader Subhash Chopra addresses the INDIA alliance press conference on the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s alleged connection with the liquor policy scam. (ANI Photo)

Several leaders of the INDIA bloc have come out in support of Arvind Kejriwal and accused the BJP and the Union government of arm-twisting the opposition…reports Asian Lite News

INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc will hold a mega rally at Ramlila Maidan on March 31 to “save democracy” in India, Congress Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said on Sunday.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference by the Congress and AAP, allies in the INDIA bloc.

This comes days after the Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier in the week on charges of corruption in the Delhi excise policy case, which was later scrapped.

Prominent leaders of the anti-BJP front are scheduled to attend the rally to “save the democracy of India,” Singh said.

“On March 31, INDIA India Alliance will hold a big rally in Delhi, and prominent leaders of the Alliance will address the rally, which won’t be just a political rally; it will be a call for the fight to save the democracy of India…,” Singh said.

Senior Aam Admi Party leader and Delhi Minister Gopal Rai appealed to people in Delhi “to join them on that day.”

“To protest against what has been the killing of democracy, the INDIA alliance will hold a rally on March 31 at 10 am in Ramlila Maidan. We appeal to all the people from Delhi and the entire country, party workers, trader associations, and NGOs, to join us that day,” the AAP leader said.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in formulating and implementing the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, which was later scrapped.

Several leaders of the INDIA bloc have come out in support of Arvind Kejriwal and accused the BJP and the Union government of arm-twisting the opposition.

However, the BJP has denied all the allegations.

INDIA bloc is a coalition of over 20 opposition parties formed last year to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in the general elections, dates for which were announced earlier in the month.

However, the exit of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was at the forefront of the alliance, dealt a blow to the bloc, which, as of now, is struggling to finalise the seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha elections.

Voting would be held in seven phases for the 543 parliamentary constituencies, starting on April 19 and ending on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.

BJP intensifies attack

Bharatiya Janata Party Delhi unit workers on Sunday burned the “Holika” (effigy) of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently in ED custody in connection with the liquor scam.

BJP workers also chanted slogans against the AAP government and demanded Kejriwal’s resignation at the earliest

The demonstration was led by BJP leader Praveen Khandelwal, who, was present with a large number of supporters at Santnagar Chowk, Ranibagh in Delhi.

Khandelwal said that BJP workers will continue to protest until Kejriwal resigns from the post. “Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is continuously violating the law. Law is the same for all. ED sent him nine summons even after that he did not consider it necessary to go answer questions. Today, we have gathered here because, after the allegations against Kejriwal, he should resign. Delhi BJP has decided that we will leave no stone unturned to oust Kejriwal until he resigns,” he said.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested Kejriwal on March 21, hours after the Delhi High Court rejected his petition seeking to restrain the central probe agency from taking any coercive action against him.

The arrest came hours after the Delhi HC rejected his petition seeking to restrain the central probe agency from taking any coercive action against him.

The case in question pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy in 2021-22. The policy was later scrapped in the face of allegations of irregularities.

Kejriwal, on Saturday, moved the Delhi High Court, challenging his arrest and the order of remand to the ED granted by the trial court on March 22.

The ED, which was given the custody of Delhi CM till March 28 by the lower court, alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) was the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam.

Two AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, are already in judicial custody in the excise policy case. (ANI)

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INDIA bloc slams Centre for Kejriwal’s arrest

Opposition leaders question the timing of Kejriwal’s arrest, with elections just days away and on a day when EC made the comprehensive electoral bond data public…reports Asian Lite News

Several political parties condemned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED on Thursday, claiming that it shows how “jittery” the ruling BJP at the Centre is with less than a month to go for the Lok Sabha polls.

The opposition parties also accused the BJP of indulging in vendetta politics. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an excise policy-linked money laundering case on Thursday evening, officials said.

Reacting to the development, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are in “panic” over their impending rejection by people in the Lok Sabha polls.

“Strongly condemn the arrest of Delhi CM, Shri Arvind Kejriwal by the ED. It’s the second sitting CM of the INDIA bloc to be arrested,” Yechury said in a post on X. “Clearly, Modi and the BJP are in panic over people’s rejection in the ongoing elections,” he added. The Left leader said Kejriwal’s arrest will only “cement” people’s desire to defeat the BJP in the parliamentary polls.

“All opposition leaders who defected and joined the BJP are protected and patronised. They are the ‘Satya Harishchandras’! These arrests will only cement people’s desire to defeat BJP, defend democracy and Indian Constitution,” he said.

CPI general secretary D Raja claimed that the BJP’s “desperation” before the general election is on full display.

“They know the hollowness of their claims of 400 seats and that’s why opposition is being targeted by abusing central agencies. The arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and the arrest of then Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren show how jittery the BJP is. This harassment is only intended to intimidate the opposition.

“People will give a befitting answer to this in elections by throwing BJP out of power,” Raja said in a post on X.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) questioned the arrest at a time when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in place.

“The election process has begun. And now this! Chiefs of political parties, CMs, political leaders, election agents, workers, every opponent being harassed and arrested like this. What will be the fate of our precious democracy,” the TMC’s Parliamentary Party leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien said in a post on X.

“Let us all save democracy from impending disaster,” he added.

O’Brien condemned Kejriwal’s arrest and said the Election Commission (EC) and the Supreme Court should take action in the matter.

“We vehemently condemn the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, an elected CM, especially when EC is in charge and MCC is in place. Earlier his administrative powers were snatched through an illegal ordinance,” he said.

“How can we expect fair elections in India if sitting CMs and prominent opposition leaders are arrested weeks before polls? If SC and ECI fail to act now, who will stand with people against BJP’s oppressive politics in future?” the TMC leader asked.

SC to hear Kejriwal’s plea

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea of the Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case linked to a money laundering case.

A special bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela Trivedi will hear the matter. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned Kejriwal’s plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for an urgent hearing.

“If this process goes on, before the first vote is cast, a lot of senior leaders will be behind the bars. Please take it up,” Singhvi told the bench.

CJI then asked him to mention his plea before a special three-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, which was hearing the plea of BRS leader K Kavitha against her arrest by the ED in the liquor policy case, at that time.

However, by the time Singhvi reached Court number 2 of Justice Khanna, the special bench sitting had concluded and the regular two-judges bench of Justices Khanna and Dipankar Datta assembled.

Singhvi then mentioned the matter before Justice Khanna, saying the CJI asked him to mention the matter before him for hearing.

Justice Khanna told Singhvi that since it was a writ petition and would have to go before the three-judge special bench, which dealt with similar connected issues.

Justice Khanna then said that the special bench will assemble today after hearing the regular bench matters.

The petition was filed by Kejriwal, challenging the arrest by the ED last night subsequent to his arrest.  (ANI)

ALSO READ-Kejriwal says decision on pact with Cong in 2-3 days

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Crime India News Telugu Vaartha

Swindler in Passport Scam Arrested From Hyderabad

The accused used to lure victims on the pretext of sending them abroad by offering approved passports of foreign countries at cheaper rates

Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) officials arrested an alleged swindler from Hyderabad Airport involved in a syndicate who used to lure victims on the pretext of sending them abroad by offering approved passports of foreign countries at cheaper rates, police said on Thursday.

The accused has been identified as Sayed Shoukat Ulla (42) resident of Ismile Nagar Hyderabad and he was working as a ticket booking agent.

Two passengers and an agent travelling on fake passports from Malaysian country were arrested earlier. They started cheating innocent people to earn easy money.

“On September 11, 2022, two passengers namely Nilesh Shailesh Bhai Patel and a woman aged 26 yrs both residents of Gujarat arrived at IGI Airport, New Delhi after being deported from Azerbaijan by air carrier Air India Flight and approached for arrival immigration clearance,” Delhi police said.

During scrutiny of travel documents, it was revealed that both duo passengers departed to Dubai, UAE from Mumbai on July 21, 2022 on their Indian Passports.

“Later, they departed from Dubai, UAE to Baku, Azerbaijan via Muskat (transit) on their Indian Passport. But on reaching Baku, Azerbaijan, they produced forged Malaysian passports issued in their names for their entry into Baku which they had acquired fraudulently. The Baku Immigration Authorities returned both passengers to Muskat and after that, they were issued emergency certificates in Muscat, Oman to facilitate their return to India,” Delhi police added.

During the investigation, both above said passengers who were arrested earlier disclosed that their journey to Europe via Azerbaijan was arranged by one Agent Vijay Bhai Patel from Gujarat in lieu of Rs. 40.00 Lakh (20 Lakh for each). Agent namely Vijay Bhai Patel age 52 yrs was also arrested in this case earlier.

During further investigation, it was revealed that the accused Sayed Shoukat Ulla had booked the tickets of both passengers and also paid the booking amount through Google Pay and cash and was also involved in making forged Malaysian passports.

“Accused Sayed Shoukat Ulla age 42 years was absconding and deliberating evading his arrest in said case. The accused Shoukat Ulla Syed was nabbed from Hyderabad Airport as he was planning to abscond Dubai by flight,” police added.

Accused Syed disclosed that he was working as a ticket booking agent and he used to work on a commission basis along with other agents. In this case, he had booked the tickets of both passengers, made their stay arrangements in Dubai and helped in arranging forged Malaysian passports. In lieu of this, he had received a commission of Rs 13 lakhs approximately. He further confessed his involvement in this case and disclosed that he along with his associates started cheating people to earn easy money.

The accused has been booked in FIR No. 372/2022 U/s 419/420/468/471 IPC and 12 PP Act, IGI Airport police station.

Further efforts are being made to scrutinize his bank accounts and to trace their possible involvement in other similar complaints/cases. (ANI)

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India News Politics

Chandrababu Naidu Arrested in Skill Development Scam

Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday said that former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu was the principal conspirator and “accused no 1” in the Rs 371 crore skill development scam.

The agency further said that the government order was issued under Naidu’s instructions, intending to cause wrongful loss to the public exchequer and gain to private individuals.

The former chief minister was arrested by the CID around 6 a.m. from R K Function Hall at Gnanapuram in Nandyala town in connection with the scam.

In its remand report, “the CID has said that according to the investigation so far, the total amount spent by private entities on six skill development clusters is sourced exclusively from funds advanced by the Government of AP and AP Skill Development Center, totalling Rs 371 crores.”

“As ‘A-1’ is considered the principal conspirator responsible for creating a step-down entity and serving as the sole decision-maker for all transactions related to the further transfer of funds, he is the chief architect of the entire scheme. The apparent intent was to divert public funds disproportionately to a private entity without regard to G.O.M.S.No.4, allowing money to be funnelled through shell companies for private gain,” CID alleged.

Additional DIG of Andhra Pradesh DG N Sanjay, while addressing a press conference here said that Naidu possesses exclusive knowledge of the transactions leading to the issuance of government orders and memorandum of understanding, making him a central figure in the investigation.

“He possesses exclusive knowledge of the transactions leading to the issuance of government orders and memorandum of understanding, making him a central figure in the investigation. The material including statements of public officials recorded under Section 164 CrPC clearly points to the involvement of Chandrababu Naidu as the principal decision-maker to release the money in advance…” he said.

The senior officer further said that the investigation is focusing on locating the misappropriated funds, making custodial interrogation of N Chandrababu Naidu.

TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu

N Sanjay also said that the custodial interrogation of Chandrababu Naidu is necessary as he can influence the probe.

“He possesses exclusive knowledge of the crime. The entire offence has occurred in the knowledge of the prime mover, conspirator and final beneficiary of defalcation money. His arrest is compulsory because of his position and it is clearly visible that he is trying to thwart further investigation and possible tampering of evidence,” he added.

The CID further said that the former Chief Minister was arrested in connection with the alleged fraud in Skill Development Corporation involving approximately Rs 550 crores.

This case revolves around the establishment of clusters of Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh, with a total estimated project value of Rs 3300 crores, it said. The agency also claimed that the alleged fraud has caused a huge loss to the Government of Andhra Pradesh in excess of 300 crores.

As per the CID, the investigation has revealed serious irregularities such as before any expenditure by private entities, the then state government provided an advance of Rs 371 crores, representing the entire 10 per cent commitment by the government.

Most of the money advanced by the government was diverted to shell companies through fake invoices, with no actual delivery or sale of the items mentioned in the invoices, CID said.

A portion of the funds was used to create the CoE clusters, a departure from the official procedure, while the rest was routed through shell companies.

The CID alleged that the investigation implicates prime accused Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, along with the Telugu Desam Party, as beneficiaries of the misappropriated funds.

Nara Chandrababu Naidu is considered the principal conspirator behind the scheme, orchestrating the transfer of public funds to private entities via shell companies, resulting in a loss to the public exchequer and private gains, it added.

“No force on earth can stop me…”

After his arrest in an alleged corruption case earlier in the day, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that he is ready to sacrifice his life to ‘safeguard’ interests of people of the state.

In a post on his social media account on X, the TDP supremo said that no one can stop him from serving the people of the state—the thing he has been doing for the ‘past 45 years’.

“For past 45 years, I’ve selflessly served Telugu people. I’m prepared to sacrifice my life to safeguard interests of Telugu people. No force on earth can stop me from serving Telugu people, my #Andhra Pradesh and my motherland,” he said.

ALSO READ: The chief who led Andhra’s first mass rebellion

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Trump Arrested and Released on Bail in Georgia Racketeering Case

Trump hit with 34 serious criminal charges after historic arrest; denies them

The first case was in New York and he is accused of falsifying business records in regards to payment of hush money to an adult film actor. It’s a state case…reports Asian Lite News

Former US President Donald Trump surrendered at a county jail in Georgia in an alleged case of racketeering to overturn the outcome of the state’s vote count in the 2020 presidential election.

Trump was arrested and released on bail.

The former President was made to pose for the procedural mugshot, like some of the 18 co-accused who had surrendered and everyone else who went through this process. 

He will be arraigned — his first appearance in a court in connection with this case — in September. The proceedings will be aired live as is the practice, unlike the previous three cases in which he was arrested and released.

The first case was in New York and he is accused of falsifying business records in regards to payment of hush money to an adult film actor. It’s a state case. 

The second and the third are federal cases that charge him with mishandling confidential papers — being tried in Florida — and involvement in the January 6 — being litigated in Washington D.C. —  attempt to prevent the US Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 Presidential election. And the Georgia case is the fourth.

Trump’s 18 co-accused include his former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and personal lawyer Rudi Giuliani and a bunch of lawyers.

Trump is facing 91 charges in all. But does not appear intimidated by any of them, not publicly at least and, in fact, he has used them to boost his campaign for the White House, his third run. He has raised millions of dollars touting the cases as politically motivated attempts by the Biden administration to stop him from running for the White House.

The former President leads the Republican race for the party nomination by a wide margin and skipped the first of primary debates in Milwaukee on Wednesday, which had eight rival on the stage, including two Indian-Americans Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida Governor Ron Desantis, who is in second place.

ALSO READ-Trump Skips GOP Primary Debate, Criticizes Fellow Candidates

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Imran Khan gets 3-year jail, arrested from Lahore

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Saturday from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case.

In a major development, a district and sessions court earlier on Saturday convicted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman in the Toshakhana case, sentencing him to three years in prison, Geo News reported.

Rejecting Khan’s petition seeking inadmissibility of the case, Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar sentenced the former premier to three-year imprisonment.

“Charges of misdeclaration of assets have been proven against PTI chairman,” Judge Dilawar mentioned in his judgment.

He then handed Khan three years in jail along with a fine of 100,000 PKR, while issuing his arrest warrant.

The former prime minister had challenged the Toshakhana case, related to the alleged misdeclaration of gifts he took from the state gifts repository, on several forums including the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court (IHC), Geo News reported.

The trial court had summoned Khan in his personal capacity on Saturday for a hearing in the Toshakhana case after the high court rejected his pleas challenging the maintainability order.

On Friday, the IHC also turned down Khan’s request to transfer the case to another court and directed Judge Dilawar to continue hearing the case.

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Met chief defends officers over Coronation arrests

The six campaigners from Republic were arrested early on Saturday morning and detained for 16 hours…reports Asian Lite News

Britain’s most senior police officer has defended the arrest of six anti-monarchy protesters and hit out at “ill-informed commentary” amid fierce criticism of the action taken.

Writing for the Evening Standard, Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said it was “unfortunate” that the demonstrators were unable to join fellow activists on Saturday following their detention.

The six were the first arrests to be made under the sweeping Public Order Act, under suspicion of going equipped to “lock-on” – a measure protesters use to make it harder for police to move them.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the new powers, which came into force last week, saying it was right for officers to have the power to tackle “serious disruption”.

Sir Mark wrote in the Standard: “While it is unfortunate that the six people affected by this were unable to join the hundreds of peaceful protesters, I support the officers’ actions in this unique fast-moving operational context.”

The six campaigners from Republic were arrested early on Saturday morning and detained for 16 hours.

They were released without charge after police conceded it could not be proved whether the protesters intended to lock-on.

Republic’s chief executive Graham Smith, who was among those arrested, is considering legal action against the Met after officers personally apologised to him over what he called a “disgraceful episode”.

He said three “rather embarrassed” officers apologised to him at his home in Reading, Berkshire, before handing back the straps for the placards they arrested him over.

“I said for the record I won’t accept the apology. We have a lot of questions to answer and we will be taking action,” he told the PA news agency.

Sunak told broadcasters during a visit to Southampton: “Of course people have the right to protest freely but peacefully, but it is also right that people have the ability to go about their day-to-day lives without facing serious disruption. What the Government has done is give the police the powers that they need to tackle instances of serious disruption to people’s lives. I think that is the right thing to do and the police will make decisions on when they use those powers.”

In total, 64 people were arrested over the weekend, of which 52 were over police concerns that the coronation may be disrupted.

Sir Mark said it was “frustrating” the force could not share more information about some of the arrests while investigations continue.

He said: “I can report that we found people in possession of possible lock-on devices and people that appeared to be purporting to be stewards of the event in possession of plastic bottles containing white paint, which we believe were specifically to be used to criminally disrupt the procession and resulted in arrests for going equipped to commit criminal damage. Much of the ill-informed commentary on the day is wholly inaccurate – for example, protest was not banned. I want to be absolutely clear – our activity was targeted at those we believed were intent on causing serious disruption and criminality.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has asked for further information about why the Republic supporters were arrested, as well as volunteers for Westminster City Council charity Night Star which hands out rape alarms.

The leader of the council has requested an apology from the Met after all three Night Star volunteers were released without charge.

Cllr Aicha Less, deputy leader and cabinet member for Communities and Public Protection, said: “We have met with the Metropolitan Police to discuss the arrest of our Night Stars, about which we have been deeply concerned.

“We are pleased to confirm that all three of our volunteers, who provide such a valuable service to the community, have been released without charge and will not face any further action. In addition, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Adam Hug, has also written to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police today, setting out the reasons for our concerns about the handling of this matter. He has also requested an apology is made to the three volunteers. We continue to offer our Night Stars our full support and are also mindful about the potential impact of this matter on our night safety work, much of which is reliant upon members of the public giving up their free time. That’s why we will continue to work with the Metropolitan Police to keep the city safe and to learn from this unfortunate incident.”

Former Greater Manchester Police chief Sir Peter Fahy said the Public Order Act used to detain the protesters was “very poorly defined and far too broad”.

ALSO READ-Priti says new Met chief must tackle policing culture

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Pakistan denies reports of torture on Imran during arrest

He said, “The Rangers did not break the windows, they were broken during the chaotic situation.”…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, while denying reports of Rangers personnel torturing Imran Khan during his arrest, said that “no sort of torture was inflicted on him,” reported Geo News.

The senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, took to Twitter, and said, “Imran Khan did not ensure his appearance despite several notices. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested him for causing damage to the natural treasury.”

“No sort of torture was inflicted on him (Khan),” Sanaullah wrote on his Twitter.

While speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Sanaullah said that no person was subjected to torture at the time of the deposed PM Khan’s arrest, adding that the PTI chief’s security personnel had inflicted violence, according to Geo News.

He said, “The Rangers did not break the windows, they were broken during the chaotic situation.”

Sanaullah, while speaking on the arrest, said that Khan was taken into custody as per the law. “NAB is an independent institution and the government has neither its control over it nor did it try to.”

He claimed that the NAB was conducting an inquiry against the former prime minister. Imran “It was necessary to investigate Imran Khan on NAB’s notice and that it was not a political victimisation against him.” The PTI Chairman attempted to resist arrest, according to the security czar, and the party lawyers impeded the judicial process.

Sanaullah claimed that Khan was prosecuting his political rivals for corruption while also engaging in wrongdoing himself, as per Geo News. After the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, his barrister Ali Gohar alleged that Khan was beaten and sustained injuries and he (Gohar) too was tortured. Gohar also said that the former PM was kicked by the Rangers on his leg which was injured by a bullet earlier and he was even pepper-sprayed.

“Imran Khan’s lawyer badly injured inside the premises of IHC. Black day for our democracy and country,” tweeted PTI.

He further said, “Rangers broke through the glass and entered the diary branch,” adding that the Rangers personnel broke IHC’s main gate before ransacking the IHC office.

Meanwhile, the PTI has denounced the arrest of the party chairman calling it an “abduction” by the law enforcement agency, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and appealed to the supporters and workers to stage protests across the country.

The former PM’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has also released several videos on Twitter claiming that Khan was manhandled, pushed and detained in a fascist move.

The PTI chief was arrested as part of NAB’s investigation in the Al-Qadir Trust case before his appearance before the Islamabad High Court to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him, Geo News reported.

Rangers took Imran Khan away to NAB Rawalpindi in a black Toyota Hilux Vigo.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who Rangers arrested from outside Islamabad High Court, had said earlier in the day that the Shehbaz Sharif government wants to put him in jail and he is ready for it. (ANI)

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