Forester shot dead by poachers in Odisha's Similipal sanctuary
Baripada (PTI): A forester was shot dead allegedly by poachers in Similipal sanctuary in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, a forest official said on Saturday.
The incident occurred when a team of forest department were carrying out patrolling inside Similipal sanctuary, an exchange of fire broke out between the forest department team and six armed poachers at Badachachran beat house on Friday night, the official said.
Forester Mati Hansda (45) was hit by a bullet allegedly fired by the poachers. He was rushed to hospital, where the doctors declared him dead.
Hansda was posted at the Barahakumuda range in Simlipal.
RCCF Simlipal Division Prakash Chand Gogineni told PTI one forester named Mati (Hansda) was with a patrolling team and he came face to face with poachers. The poachers fired on him. He was rushed to Karanjia Hospital at 3:15-3:30 am where he died.
"We have identified the people who were involved in the attack. We have informed the police and they are doing their job," said Gogineni
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who hails from Odisha came down heavily on the state government and alleged that with every passing day law and order situation is "deteriorating" in the state.
"Criminals have the audacity, that they can commit a crime and escape the clutches of law in the state, there is complete failure of state machinery, within a span of one month, two forest officials have been shot dead," Pradhan told PTI.
IG Police (Eastern Range) Himanshu Kumar Lal told PTI "We have already detained three suspects, combing operation in the area is continuing, and we will arrest the main accused soon."
Earlier on May 22, a forest guard was shot dead by a group of poachers at Simlipal Tiger Reserve.
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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.
