Ex-Gurugram police commissioner files defamation suit against judge, seeks Rs 1 cr in damages
Gurugram (PTI): Former Gurugram police commissioner Krishan Kumar Rao has filed a defamation suit against a judge for "adverse remarks" made against him in a judicial order and sought Rs 1 crore in damages.
The suit was filed in the court of Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division) Vikramjit Singh on Monday and the hearing was held on the same day. The court decided to take up the matter again on November 21.
"Suit seeking compensation and damages from and against the defendant and also to restrain the defendants from maligning and defaming the plaintiff in any manner has been received. It be checked and registered. Now, matter stands adjourned for 21.11.2024 for consideration on the point of maintainability of the suit," read the order.
According to the senior IPS officer, Additional District and Sessions Judge Amit Sahrawat in an order passed in February 2022 had rejected former deputy commissioner of Gurugram police Dheeraj Setia's bail application in connection with a multi-crore heist, saying there was more to the story than meets the eye.
The judge said that based on the admission made by Sachinder Jain Naval, a doctor who is the chief suspect in the case, it seemed suspicious that Setia, who was accused of accepting a bribe to derail investigations in the case, could do so right under Rao, especially given that gangsters would visit him at the Gurugram Commissionerate.
The court had also said that investigators could not determine if the entire exercise was done with the former police commissioner's consent without the suspect's custody, read the order.
In the defamation suit, the senior officer argued that the judge's remarks were based on conjecture and had no judicial basis. He stated that the comments regarding his supposed lack of knowledge about the events were personal in nature and unrelated to the adjudication of the bail application.
The petition also claimed that the comments were not protected under the Judges Protection Act since they did not pertain to the judge's official duties.
The incident dates back to August 4, 2021, when gangster Lagarpuriya's men broke into a flat of a private company used as office space and decamped with crores of rupees in cash. A Special Task Force investigating the case put this money at Rs 30-40 crore.
Naval had claimed that he bribed Setia with gold, cash, and currency in US dollars worth Rs 2.5 crore to hush up the case. However, he said Setia returned a large part of the money and gold but kept a few dollars, saying the case was not in his hands.
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India, Jamaica agree to boost trade, skilled mobility: Jaishankar
Kingston (PTI): India and Jamaica agreed to further strengthen trade linkages and explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including healthcare workers and teachers, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
Addressing a joint press conference here after talks with his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J Smith on Monday, Jaishankar said the discussions were comprehensive, and they reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties, identifying new avenues to deepen the partnership.
"We signed several important agreements and discussed effective implementations of MOUs which have been recently concluded in the fields of digital transformation, cultural exchange, sports and digital payments to ensure tangible outcomes on the ground," he said.
India recognised Jamaica's growing role as a logistics hub and gateway to the Caribbean for trade and investment, Jaishankar said.
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"We agreed to further strengthen trade, business and investment linkages, explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including nurses, healthcare workers and teachers," he said.
The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in defence and security, healthcare, digitisation, agriculture, education and infrastructure, the minister said.
Highlighting development cooperation as a key pillar of ties, Jaishankar noted the successful completion of the Improving Rural Livelihoods Project in Kitson Town in March 2026, implemented with Indian assistance of USD 1 million under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, benefiting over 200 individuals and impacting thousands more.
He said India is also discussing the feasibility of establishing an artisan empowerment hub in Jamaica and reiterated support for the country's recovery following Hurricane Melissa.
As part of humanitarian assistance, India has supplied relief material, deployed a medical team and is in the process of providing 30 dialysis units. It is also sending 40 fishing boats and 200 GPS units to aid recovery efforts.
The ministers reaffirmed close cooperation in multilateral fora and discussed issues such as reformed multilateralism, climate justice and priorities of the Global South.
India appreciated Jamaica’s support for its candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2028-29.
Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
Jaishankar also highlighted growing people-to-people ties, noting the popularity of yoga and Ayurveda in Jamaica and the contribution of the Indian diaspora to the country’s development.
He announced a contribution of two million Jamaican dollars towards celebrations marking 181 years of the arrival of Indians in Jamaica on India Heritage Day.
According to the website of the High Commission of India in Kingston, Jamaica has an Indian diaspora of around 70,000 people whose forefathers came mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as indentured labour between 1845 and 1917. Some also came from South India.
The diaspora constitutes around 3 per cent of Jamaica's population and continues to nurture an abiding interest in Indian culture, music, dance and history, serving as a cultural bridge between the two countries. May 10 is observed as India Heritage Day in Jamaica.
Later in the day, Jaishankar interacted with Jamaica’s industry and business leaders, underlining the need to deepen economic engagement as countries diversify partnerships globally.
“Emphasised that as we all diversify and seek reliable partners, the imperative to deepen India-Jamaica business ties is that much stronger,” he said in a social media post, noting that the potential for bilateral and regional economic cooperation should be "explored more vigorously".
He also appreciated Industry Minister Aubyn Hill for convening the interaction with business leaders.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
