'You invented new law': SC dismayed over MP HC refusing bail
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has expressed anguish over an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court which held a convict's plea for the suspension of sentence could be allowed only when they had served half of their sentence.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan granted bail to a man and said a convict should be granted bail if there was no chance of appeal against conviction being heard in near future in high courts due to huge pendency of cases.
"We are surprised that the high court invented a new proposition of law that has no basis," the bench said on April 17.
The top court said the high court should have applied the law as it exists and the petitioner should not have been forced to move before it for bail.
The high court order said, "In view of the fact that tainted currency notes have been recovered from the pocket of pant of the appellant and there is no explanation for the same, no case is made out for grant of suspension of sentence and grant of bail
It added, "Second application has been filed... just less than two months of rejection of first application. Accordingly, it is clarified that appellant may revive his prayer for suspension of sentence after undergoing half of the jail sentence including remission."
The apex court also took exception to trial courts and high courts denying bail to the accused in cases involving ordinary violation of law despite its several rulings.
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IMF approves USD 206 million emergency funding for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka's recovery
Colombo (PTI): The IMF has approved an emergency funding of USD 206 million under its rapid finance instrument to help Sri Lanka “address the urgent needs arising from the catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah and preserve macroeconomic stability”.
The cyclone caused widespread destruction in the island nation and left over 643 people dead.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the disaster has created urgent humanitarian and reconstruction needs, generating significant fiscal pressures and balance-of-payments needs.
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The emergency financial support provided by the IMF under the rapid finance instrument will help address these pressures, it said.
The IMF added that the cyclone devastation hit when the Fifth Review of Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout was nearing completion.
“Given the time needed to assess the economic impact of the cyclone and examine how an IMF-supported programme can best support Sri Lanka’s recovery and reconstruction efforts while preserving objectives and policy priorities, the Fifth Review has been deferred," it said.
"An IMF mission team will visit Sri Lanka in early 2026 to resume discussions,” it added.
The 48-month extended fund facility deal with the IMF in March 2023 carried hard reforms to Sri Lanka's welfare-based governance.
It was signed after Sri Lanka plunged into an unprecedented economic meltdown with its first-ever sovereign default.
Several hours before the IMF decision, the parliament here approved without a vote a supplementary estimate of LKR 500 billion, which the government said was required to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the disaster.
