Firing outside Salman Khan's home: Lawrence Bishnoi gang member held for funding shooters
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai crime branch has arrested a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang from Rajasthan for allegedly providing financial help to the shooters involved in firing outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's house, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused has been identified as Mohammed Rafique Chowdhary (37), an official said.
He is the fifth person to be arrested in the firing case.
Two motorcycle-borne persons opened fire outside Khan's residence at the Galaxy Apartment in Mumbai's Bandra area on April 14 and fled from the spot.
The official said Chowdhary's role had come to light during the interrogation of the persons arrested in the case.
He is a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and was in direct contact with the alleged shooters - Sagar Pal and Vicky Gupta, the official said.
Choudhary allegedly provided financial support to Pal and Gupta to purchase a motorcycle and rent a house, he said.
He also conducted a recce around Khan's residence more than five times, the official said.
Before the firing incident, Choudhary went to Panvel in neighbouring Navi Mumbai and stayed with Pal and Gupta, he said.
Choudhary provided all the logistical support to the accused persons since the conspiracy of firing was hatched, the official said.
After a specific information received about Chowdhary's whereabouts, a crime branch team was sent to Rajasthan and he was apprehended from Nagaur district, he said.
The Mumbai police have so far arrested five persons in connection with the case of firing outside Khan's residence.
One of the arrested persons, Anuj Thapan, who was accused of supplying weapons to the shooters, allegedly hanged himself in a police lock-up here on May 1.
Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in the Sabarmati central prison in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, and his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi, who is believed to be in the US or Canada, have been named in the firing case.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
