Bhopal, Jun 19: The National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked against a group of men who allegedly kept a man on a dog leash and abused him in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Monday.

Talking to reporters, Mishra said he received information about a video of the incident this morning and he had directed the police to act within 24 hours.

In six hours, the police identified the accused and nabbed them, he said, adding that a police station in-charge has been removed from the field duty in connection with the incident.

The stringent NSA has been invoked against the accused, and the illegally constructed structures belonging to them have been identified and they will be razed, the minister said.

He further said that provisions of the Freedom of Religion Act were also invoked against the accused after a religious conversion angle came to light in the case.

In a video of the alleged incident, the victim is seen with a leash around his neck and the accused are telling him to bark like a dog while abusing him.

At the end of the 49-second video, the victim is also heard saying "main Miyan Bhai banne ko taiyar hoon" (I am ready to become Miyan Bhai, a term used for Muslims in Bhopal).

The accused are also heard asking why the victim had used abusive language against them and demand that he apologise.

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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.