Iran denies 'cover-up' over shot down airliner
Tehran: Iran's government on Monday denied a "cover-up" after it took days for the armed forces to admit a Ukrainian airliner was shot down by mistake last week.
The comments came after a second night of demonstrations in Tehran against the authorities over the air disaster, according to videos shared on social media. The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 was shot down shortly after it took off from Tehran before dawn on Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board.
The Kiev-bound airliner was brought down hours after Iran had launched a wave of missiles at US troops stationed at Iraqi bases in retaliation for the killing of a top Iranian general.
The Islamic republic initially denied Western claims based on US intelligence that the passenger plane had been struck by a missile before admitting it on Saturday. "In these sorrowful days, many criticisms were directed at relevant officials and authorities," said government spokesman Ali Rabiei.
"Some officials were even accused of lying and a cover-up but, in all honesty, that was not the case," he said in remarks aired on state television.
"Lying is intentionally and knowingly faking the truth. Lying is covering up. Lying is knowing a fact and not expressing it or twisting the truth." Rabiei said all details provided by officials prior to Saturday's admission had been based on the information available to them at the time.
"All of those who expressed opinions on those days, at the peak of America's psychological war against the Iranian nation... did so based on existing information at the time."
President Hassan Rouhani promised a "thorough investigation" into the air disaster in a telephone call with Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Sunday night, his office said.
The majority of the people on Flight PS752 were Iranians and Canadians, including dual nationals, and other victims were Ukrainians, Afghans and Britons.
There were seven Swedish citizens as well as 10 people who reside in the EU member country.
"We must strive to ensure that such a shocking incident is not repeated anywhere in the world," Rouhani said, quoted in a statement published on his government's website.
Rouhani noted that the disaster occurred at a time of heightened tensions in the region after a US drone strike killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad on January 3.
"We must all join hands to bring security back to the region and allow peace to prevail," the Iranian president said. Iran has invited experts from Canada, France, Ukraine and the United States to take part in the investigation into the air disaster.
Despite footage from the site of disaster appearing to show bulldozers clearing the area, the Revolutionary Guards' top commander denied any evidence had been tampered with.
"We didn't touch anything," Major General Hossein Salami told parliament on Sunday.
"We didn't move the wreckage of the aircraft, we didn't change the scene, we didn't move the air defence system, and we didn't (alter) the radar readings," he said.
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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.
