Justice Kaushik Chanda had earlier dismissed the Nandigram case by imposing a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the Chief Minister. This time the case went to another bench of the High Court.

According to sources, the case has been transferred to the bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar on Monday. As a result, there is a possibility that the hearing of this case may finally start. Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindalai has referred the case to the bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar.

The Nandigram case could also go to the Supreme Court, although there was a possibility. There are rumours that the TMC supremo can go to the apex court by appealing against a fine of Rs 5 lakh. If a judge of the High Court or the Supreme Court leaves a case, the Chief Justice has the power to decide who will hear the case. Similarly, the Acting Chief Justice said that next time Justice Shampa Sarkar will hear the Nandigram case. However, it is not yet known when the bench will hear the case.

Mamata did not want the case to be heard by Kaushik’s bench demanding a recount of Nandigram results. The reason for this is being claimed that Kaushik has been seen in various BJP programs more than once. It is also being claimed that he is ‘BJP-minded’. As a result, the TMC leader feared that the case against the BJP MLA would not be a neutral verdict if it was heard in Kaushik’s court.

After a couple of days of hearing, Kaushik left the case dissatisfied. However, the harsh words he used before leaving the case are less than unprecedented. The judge said the judiciary has been “corrupted”. That is why the Chief Minister was fined Rs 5 lakh.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) continued its operations against ISIS in Kashmir valley on Monday and arrested three more persons for their linkage with the outfit during raids at multiple places in the Anantnag district of South Kashmir.

In a statement issued on Monday, NIA said that three ISIS Cadres in the ISIS Voice of Hind (VOH) Case (RC-14/2021/NIA/DLI) NIA have been arrested. The three accused persons are: i) Umar Nisar s/o Nisar Ahmed Bhat r/o Magray Mohalla Achabal; District Anantnag; ii) Tanveer Ahmad Bhat s/o Gull Mohammad Bhat r/o Gori Mohalla Achabal Anantnag; and iii) Rameez Ahmad Lone s/o Javed Ahmad Lone r/o Chak Achabal Anantnag in (RC-14/2021/NIA/DLI).

NIA had registered the case on 26 June this year under sections 124A, 153A, & 153B of IPC and sections 17, 18, 18B, 38, 39 & 40 of UA(P) Act 1967 in connection with the conspiracy of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS to radicalise and recruit impressionable youth in India to wage violent jihad against the Indian State. 

NIA said that ISIS terrorists operating from various conflict zones along with ISIS cadres in India, by assuming pseudo-online identities, have created a network wherein ISIS-related propaganda material is disseminated for radicalising and recruiting members to the fold of ISIS. In this connection, an India-centric online propaganda magazine ‘the Voice of Hind’ (VOH) is published on monthly basis to incite and radicalise impressionable youth. 

NIA had earlier conducted searches at the premises of the arrested accused and recovered a large number of incriminating documents, multiple digital devices and T-shirts with the ISIS logo. 

“Preliminary examination of the seized material and examination of the accused persons revealed that they are active cadres of ISIS and have been using cyberspace to propagate inciting material by the online magazine VOH,” NIA said. Examination of the arrested accused led to searches on Monday at two more locations in Anantnag district in which several digital devices and other materials have been seized. Investigation in the case continues.

The three men arrested by NIA for the circulation of banned ISIS terror group’s propaganda, in South Kashmir on Monday.

The Delhi Jal Board on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to Haryana to release the National Capital’s “legitimate share” of water. However, the Chief Minister Manohar Lal-led Haryana government said that the water shortage is a result of, among other reasons, a delay in monsoon.

As the national capital faces an acute water shortage, the Haryana government blamed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led dispensation in Delhi as the reason for less water in the Yamuna river. “Less water in Yamuna river due to delay in the arrival of monsoon, AAP dispensation›s mismanagement behind water shortage in the national capital,” the Haryana government said.

DJB vice-chairman Raghav Chadha accused the neighbouring state of withholding the city›s share of 120 million gallons of water a day. “Raw water discharge through Yamuna by Haryana is at an all-time low. Even one foot decline can cause havoc in the city, but currently pond level has fallen from 674.5 feet to 667 feet,” he said, attaching pictures of reduced water levels at the Wazirabad pond. “There is zero cusec release of raw water in Yamuna from Haryana.” The DJB has been supplying 945 million gallons of water a day (MGD) to city residents this summer against the demand of 1,150 MGD, he said. At present, Delhi has been receiving 479 MGD against 609 MGD from Haryana. Besides, Delhi draws 90 MGD groundwater and receives 250 MGD from the Upper Ganga Canal, Chadha said. In response to allegations, the Haryana government levelled counter-allegations on the AAP government, accusing it of indulging in a “false political rhetoric to hide its failure”.

The Dominica High Court on Monday granted interim bail to fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi in connection with his illegal entry into the island country. 

Speaking to The Daily Guardian, Mehul Choksi’s advocate Vijay Aggarwal said that the high court has allowed Mehul to travel to Antigua and Barbuda,“strictly for medical treatment. 

Aggarwal also said that Choksi, however, will have to return to Dominica where he is facing illegal entry charges, as soon as he is fit to travel. The court has asked Choksi to deposit Eastern Caribbean dollars 10,000 as surety for the bail, he added.

“Dominica courts finally upheld the rule of law and rights of a human to be treated in the medical facilities of his choice,” he said.

Meanwhile, the proceedings against him in the illegal entry case filed by Dominica police have been adjourned.

On 23 May this year Choksi went missing under mysterious circumstances and was subsequently found in Dominica, where he is facing charges of illegal entry.

Heavy rains, flash floods and lightning strikes have led to several deaths in several states across the country, besides loss of property.

In Himachal Pradesh, heavy rain and a cloudburst incident have led to the disappearance of 18 to 20 people. A nine-year-old girl was also feared drowned. The district administration is engaged in relief and rescue operations. The NDRF has been deployed for rescue operation. Reports said the maximum damage due to rain has been in Kangra district. Half-a-dozen of houses in Shapur area of Kangra district have been damaged and buried in mud.

Incessant rains in Himachal Pradesh have led to an incident of cloudburst in the famous tourist destination of Dharamshala, triggering a flood-like situation, with half-a-dozen vehicles being washed away in the flood water, and public properties, including residential houses and shops, damaged in the Bhagsunag area as well. However, there was no report of any loss of life in the incident.

Besides Himachal Pradesh, heavy downpours have continued in parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The IMD said it is continuously monitoring the progress of the monsoon in various parts of the country. Delhi and Haryana were left longing for respite even as southwest monsoon rains advanced towards Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and Ganganagar districts on Monday. The weather agency predicted the rain to cover Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and some parts of West Bengal. Rains also covered west Rajasthan, parts of Haryana and Punjab on Monday.

Meanwhile, lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh in the past 24 hours have claimed 74 lives. The maximum number of deaths was reported from Uttar Pradesh where 41 died due to lightning strikes across 16 districts on Sunday night.

WITH INPUTS FROM AGENCIES

With the SAARC in limbo for a long time now, China seeks to implement what is being seen as a larger gameplan to expand influence in South Asia. In what is being seen by many as an extension of its debt trap diplomacy, Beijing is now planning to make inroads into several South Asian countries through what it calls poverty alleviation initiative.

What indicates Dragon’s ulterior motive is the establishment of China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Center in Chongqing City. Indian diplomatic sources believe that “this is nothing but China’s attempt to trap the countries which are in a bad shape economically as a result of Covid.” “No noble cause is behind this initiative, given what China has been doing by weaponsing lending to trap several poor and developing countries,” officials say.    Sources say India is keeping a close watch on this development “which reveals Chinese ambition to expand its footprint in South Asian countries, and its reaction to Quad (a group consisting of US, India, Japan and Australia) to counter Beijing’s expansionist behaviour.”

What is a significant part of this development is that of the eight members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), five have joined China-led initiatives.

Only Bhutan and the Maldives apart from India have stayed away from it. Sources, however, say that China is pressurizing the Maldives as well. Top sources told TheDailyGuardian that the communist rulers have been sending their representatives to these countries over the past few months to explain to them the benefits of being part of the “so-called” poverty eradication initiative.

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense, Wei Fenghe had in the month of April met Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo. His visit to Sri Lanka was related to the same agenda as well. The idea of setting up the centre was first shared during a virtual meeting of foreign ministers of the five South Asian nations and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the month of April. These five nations are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

In fact, Beijing is already trying to exploit the situation resulting from economic devastation by Covid in several developing and poor countries of South Asia and other global regions. Its debt trap diplomacy is understood to be in full swing to tighten its grip on countries where the economy is in a bad shape post Covid.

Indian officials do agree that China is making such a move at a time when the SAARC is not functional and rather ineffective. Beijing is said to be reaching out to SAARC countries with tempting offers just to trap them.