ED arrests ex-MUDA commissioner Dinesh Kumar
Bengaluru (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested ex-MUDA commissioner Dinesh Kumar under the provisions of the anti-money laundering law in a case related to allotment of alleged illegal sites, officials said on Wednesday.
He is expected to be produced before a designated special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Bengaluru where the agency will seek for his custody, the officials said.
The arrest came after the federal probe agency on Tuesday searched two residential premises in Bengaluru linked to Kumar in connection with the MUDA illegal sites allocation "scam".
Kumar, as per the ED, during his tenure as MUDA commissioner indulged in "large-scale illegal allotment" of MUDA sites in lieu of "gratification and peculiarly benefits."
Probe has found his "active" involvement in money laundering activities, ED sources said.
The ED is conducting a money laundering investigation into the MUDA allotment of land parcels case on the basis of a Karnataka Lokayukta Police FIR that had named Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, the CM's brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Swamy purchased the land under probe and gifted it to Parvathi -- and some others.
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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.
