Man gets 20 years jail for raping 12-year-girl, forcing abortion in 2021
Sonbhadra (PTI): A court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 20 years' imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl in 2021 and forcing her to undergo an abortion by administering pills, officials said on Wednesday.
Additional Sessions Judge and Special Judge (POCSO Act) Amit Veer Singh also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Ramesh, they said.
Government counsel Dinesh Prasad Agrahari said that Ramesh took away the girl from the Jugail area in 2021 after assuring her father that he would look after her and also arrange her marriage.
The girl's father, who had five daughters, agreed to hand over his youngest child to him, Agrahari said.
According to the prosecution, Ramesh sexually assaulted the girl, and when she got pregnant, he forced her to undergo an abortion by giving her medicines. He also threatened to kill her if she disclosed the matter.
Later, he left the girl at her maternal uncle's house, where she narrated the ordeal to her relatives.
On the basis of the complaint, police registered an FIR on March 17, 2021, in this regard and later filed a chargesheet in court.
Hearing the case, the court sentenced Ramesh to 20 years' imprisonment and imposed a fine, Agrahari added.
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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.
