New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): Param Bir Singh, former Mumbai Police Commissioner on Monday filed a plea before the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to the CBI to immediately conduct an unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial and fair investigation in the various corrupt malpractices of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
The plea sought appropriate order or direction to one of the respondents, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to immediately conduct an unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial and fair investigation in the various corrupt malpractices of Anil Deshmukh, the Home Minister of the Government of Maharashtra.
Singh, in his plea also sought the issuance of appropriate writ, order or direction to quash and set aside the order, passed by the other Respondent state government, concerning his transfer from the post of Police Commissioner in Mumbai as illegal and arbitrary.
“The same is also in clear violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India, for each of the grounds namely for being without the completion of the minimum fixed tenure of two years in teeth of the law laid down by this Court in TSR Subramanian against the Union of India (UOI) case, the petition stated.
It further continued that it was held in many court judgments that the transfer of an officer from a sensitive tenure post requires serious consideration and good reasons that can be tested by the petitioner.
Petitioner Param Bir Singh was moved out as Mumbai Police Commissioner on March 20, by the state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and posted as Commandant General of Home Guards.
Anil Deshmukh on Thursday said that NIA and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) are investigating Sachin Waze case very professionally and Param Bir Singh has been transferred as Mumbai Police Commissioner so that investigation can be done without any hindrance. (ANI)

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 22 (ANI): Ahead of Assembly polls, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) vice president KC Rosakutty resigned from the party.
She was a former MLA from Sulthan Bathery constituency and chairperson of the Kerala Women’s Commission.
She was reportedly unhappy with the present developments in the party.
On March 14, Kerala Congress’ women’s wing president Lathika Subhash had got her head tonsured at the KPCC headquarters after being denied a ticket for the upcoming Kerala assembly elections.
On March 15, after Subash stepped down, many other leaders had resigned from the party including Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) secretary Ramani P Nair in Thiruvananthapuram and 23 district level office bearers, seven-block presidents in Kannur.
The election for 140-member Kerala Assembly will be held on April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party MP Rakesh Singh on Monday in Lok Sabha slammed Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for allegedly backing Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze who is in NIA custody for his alleged role and involvement in placing an explosives-laden vehicle near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence.
Singh said, “Perhaps it is the first incident of the country where the CM holds a press conference in support of the API who was given a target of Rs 100 crore,”
“CM says that he is the best Police personnel in the country. How does this happen?” he asked.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Saturday wrote a letter to Thackeray alleging that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had indulged in “malpractices” and asked suspended API Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month.
The allegations made by Param Bir Singh came a day after Deshmukh had said that Singh was moved out as Mumbai Police Commissioner so that cases pertaining to Waze were probed without obstruction.
In the letter, Singh, who has now been posted as Commandant General of Home Guards, had said that he has been “made a scapegoat to divert attention from the actual wrongdoers”.
He had alleged that Sachin Vaze, who was heading the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police, was called by Deshmukh to his official residence several times in the last few months and “repeatedly instructed to assist in the collection of funds”. (ANI)

Karur (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 22 (ANI): Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate from Karur, Senthil Balaji has been booked under section 6 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for making remarks against Government officials, informed Karur police on Monday.
Senthil Balaji had reportedly said in a poll campaign, “Tell me if any official stops you from mining sand in a bullock cart, he won’t be there again.”
The 234-members Tamil Nadu assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 6 and the counting of votes will take place on May 2.
The DMK, which has been out of power for two terms in the state since 2011, will contest 173 seats.
MK Stalin-led party has allotted 25 seats to its Congress party, and six each for CPI, CPI (M), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK). (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured that his government has made ‘water governance’ a priority in its policies and decisions to ensure the vision of India’s self-reliance.
He said this while virtually addressing the launch of ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign.
“Our government has made water governance a priority in its policies and decisions. In the last six years, many steps have been taken in this direction”: said Prime Minister Modi at the launch of the campaign on World Water Day.
“Today, when we are trying for rapid development, it is not possible without ensuring water security, without ensuring effective water management. The vision of India’s development, the vision of India’s self-reliance, is dependent on our water sources, is dependent on our water connectivity,” said PM Modi.
“India’s development vision, its self-reliance is dependent on water connectivity. That’s why our government has prioritized water governance in its policies. More rainwater harvesting facilities means less dependence on groundwater,” PM Modi reiterated.
“For the first time after independence, a government is working so seriously with regard to water testing. And I am also happy that in this campaign of water testing, sisters and daughters living in our village are being added,” said PM Modi.
“With the introduction of Catch The Rain, a major step has also been taken for the Ken-Betwa link Canal. This agreement is important to realize Atal ji’s dream in the interest of millions of families of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh,” PM Modi said.
“The agreement of Ken Betwa Link Project heralds the beginning of inter-state cooperation to implement the vision of Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to carry water from areas that have surplus water to drought-prone and water deficit areas, through the interlinking of rivers. This project involves the transfer of water from the Ken to the Betwa River through the construction of Daudhan Dam and a canal linking the two rivers, the Lower Orr Project, Kotha Barrage and Bina Complex Multipurpose Project,” read a statement by PMO.
It will provide annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh ha, drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people and also generate 103 MW of hydropower. The Project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved region of Bundelkhand, especially to the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen of Madhya Pradesh and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh. It will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects to ensure that scarcity of water does not become an inhibitor for development in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign on World Water Day i.e. today via video conferencing. In the presence of the Prime Minister, the signing of historic Memorandum of Agreement between the Union Minister of Jal Shakti and the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to implement the Ken Betwa Link Project, the first project of the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers, also took place. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): The Division Bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh on Monday stayed Justice JR Midha order favouring the Emergency Award against Future-Reliance deal. The Bench has also issued a notice to Amazon on Future appeal.
Division Bench while passing the order says, “having heard the counsels and looking at the facts and circumstances of the case, the single bench order is stayed. The division bench had now slated the matter for April 30th.
Future Retail Limited and Future Coupons Private Limited on March 20 had moved Division Bench of Delhi High Court challenging Single bench order passed on March 18th which had uphold the Emergency Award passed against Future-Reliance deal.
The single bench had also directed Future Group’s Directors to appear in person before April 28, is also stayed by the division bench today.
Senior Advocate Harish Salve and Rajeev Nayyar appeared for the Future group and Senior Advocate Gopal Subramanian appeared for Amazon.
The single bench of Justice JR Midha on March 18th while upholding the Emergency Award passed against the Future-Reliance deal also imposed costs of Rs 20 lakhs on Kishore Biyani and others.
A single-Judge Bench had said that the Singapore arbitration order is enforceable. The court accepted Amazon’s pleas against the deal, reject Future Group’s arguments and said the order of emergency arbitrator remains valid, enforceable under Indian law.
Justice Midha also had said that Future Retail Group will have deliberately disobeyed the order and liable to face action under the code of civil procedure. Court also issued a show-cause notice to Future Retail and others, asking them why they should not be detained in civil prison. Further, the HC had directed to attach properties of CEO Kishore Biyani and others related to Future Group.
Earlier the Court had directed Future Retail Limited to maintain the status quo with respect to deal with Reliance while granting interim relief to Amazon.
The Single Bench had ordered on Amazon plea where the petitioner has submitted that the respondents including Future Coupons Private Limited have deliberately and willfully violated and are continuing further with the violation of the order dated October 25, 2020, of the Emergency Arbitrator. The petitioner has sought an immediate interim order to protect its rights till the pronouncement of the reserved order.
The respondents are objecting to the enforcement of the order dated October 25, 2020, passed by the Emergency Arbitrator on various grounds, inter alia, that the Emergency Arbitrator is not an Arbitrator/ Arbitral Tribunal; the order dated October 25, 2020, is not an order under Section 17( 1) and is not enforceable under Section 17(2) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, the respondent is not a party to the arbitration agreement and the order dated October 25, 2020, is a nullity, Court had said.
The court, however, said that “This Court is of the prima facie view that the Emergency Arbitrator is an Arbitrator; the Emergency Arbitrator has rightly proceeded against the respondent; the order dated October 25, 2020, is not a nullity; the order dated October 25, 2020, is an order under Section 17(1) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act.”
“This Court is of the view that the order dated October 25, 2020, is appealable under Section 37 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. This Court is of the clear view that the order dated October 25, 2020, is enforceable as an order of this Court under Section 17(2) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. The detailed reasons shall be given in the reserved order,” the Court said.
The Court also directed all the concerned authorities to maintain a status quo with respect to all matters in violation of the order dated October 25, 2020 and shall file the status report with respect to the present status within ten days of the receipt of this order. (ANI)