SSB nabs four Nepal jail escapees during intensified patrol in U’khand
Pithoragarh, Sep 14 (PTI): Four inmates who escaped from jails in Nepal during the recent anti-government protests were apprehended in Uttarakhand by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) deployed on the India-Nepal border, officials said on Sunday.
According to a press note issued by the 55th Battalion of the SSB here, the four prisoners from Nepal were caught at the Devtal police post near Jhulaghat when they were illegally crossing the Kali river with the help of a tyre tube.
Dhamendra Chand (25), Tarkaram Luhar (22), Suraj Saud (24) and Asif Pahadi (31) were nabbed by the SSB while patrolling the banks of the Kali river, considered the border between India and Nepal, it said.
The force guarding the India-Nepal international border and police in different states have caught more than 79 people from various locations along this 1,751-km-long unfenced front till now, the SSB officials said on Saturday.
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Out of these, about 43 people have been caught along the international border in Bihar, 22 from Uttar Pradesh, 12 from Uttarakhand and two from West Bengal, the officials said.
The SSB caught six inmates who escaped from Nepal's Banke jail amid violence while they were trying to cross into Indian territory at Rupaidiha border in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, officials said on September 11.
Of the four nabbed in Uttarakhand, three are accused of rape and are residents of Baitadi district. The other is a resident of Kanchanpur district who was lodged in jail for murder.
The SSB said, “We have kept the prisoners with us and they are being thoroughly interrogated about the plans of other prisoners to enter India illegally.”
The force said that they have informed the Nepalese authorities about the development and after completing the formalities, the captured prisoners will be handed over to them.
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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.
