Can’t Return to India Due to Threat of Mob Lynching, says Mehul Choksi
Mumbai: Seeking cancellation of non-bailable warrants against him, absconding accused Mehul Choksi has cited “the recent trend of mob lynching” and said there is a threat to his life due to which he cannot travel to India. Choksi on Wednesday approached the special CBI court in Mumbai seeking cancellation of two non-bailable warrants issued against him in April and May, stating 10 reasons for his non-appearance before the court in the Punjab National Bank alleged fraud case.
“It is most respectfully submitted that there have been various reported cases of mob lynching and one of the cases was in relation to an accused who was mob lynched while being inside a jail. This recent trend of mob lynching is growing and is attempting to giving justice on the road by the general public, and subsequently there is no prosecution because of non-identification of a particular individual is giving rise to the said tendency (sic),” his plea says.
Choksi said there is a threat to his life from various people and hence he is unable to disclose his current location in public. He has listed five groups that have “grievances and anger” against him, including existing employees, whose salaries and dues have not been paid because of freezing of his accounts, families of employees who have been arrested, landlords, creditors of supplies and services, whose dues have not been paid, and customers whose jewellery has been taken away. Choksi has also claimed other “safety threats”, including from jail inmates.
Among other reasons cited by Choksi in his plea, filed through advocates Sanjay Abbot and Rahul Agarwal, are his medical condition, revocation of his passport and “prejudice” of the investigating agencies.
Choksi has claimed that while his case is “completely different” from that of his nephew Nirav Modi, the jewellery of his flagship companies had been attached.
Meanwhile, another accused in the case, Manish Bosamiya, has applied for bail on the grounds that while the CBI has arrested him as an accused, the ED has named him as a witness in its prosecution complaint.
courtesy : indianexpress.com
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Why can't Centre say it will consider genuine grievances of farmers? SC asks
New Delhi, Jan 2: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre why couldn't it say its doors were open and it would consider the genuine grievances of farmers protesting over various demands, including the legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops.
Further, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Centre to respond to the fresh plea filed on behalf of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal seeking direction to the Union government for implementation of the proposal, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops, made to the protesting farmers in 2021, after the farm laws were repealed.
"Why can't your client make a statement that it will consider the genuine demands and we are open to discuss the grievances of farmers, our doors are open? Why can't the Central government make a statement?" the bench asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta.
"Perhaps the court is not aware of various factors weighing in," he said, "therefore, right now we are confining ourselves to the issue of health of one individual. The Central government is concerned with each and every farmer."
Petitioner in-person Guninder Kaur Gill, who filed the fresh plea on behalf of Dallewal, was asked not to adopt a confrontational approach as the court had constituted a high-powered committee headed by retired high court judge to deal with various such issues.
"You are asking for compliance of the proposal. How can we direct the compliance of the proposal? You have to bring something more on record. We are issuing notice on this. But think of something. Let us not go with the confrontation… Please don't think of confrontation," said the bench.
Gill said the issue was resolved in 2021, when a proposal for the guarantee was adopted.
"The matter was already resolved into a guarantee. Last two-three lines of the proposal make it amply clear that it was a guarantee on the part of the Central government… It was a commitment and a promise on the basis of which the farmers withdrew their andolan (agitation). Now, they (Centre) cannot go back," she said.
Committee after committee were being constituted to resolve the same issues, added Gill.
The court said it had "full faith" in the committee, headed by a former judge who, in a way, had roots in the agriculture sector from both Punjab and Haryana.
"We have included experts from Punjab and Haryana, who are agriculturist, economist and professors. They are all learned, neutral fellows and their names came from both sides. Now that the committee is there, why are you not moving through a platform? We cannot directly have dialogue with the farmers. Probably, the central government, whatever may be the good or bad reasons, it is for them to take a decision," said Justice Surya Kant.
The bench directed a copy of the petition to be served upon the member secretary of the high-powered committee, which is likely to hold talks with the protesting farmers and other stakeholders on January 3.
It asked the Centre and the committee to file their responses to the fresh petition filed on behalf of Dallewal within 10 days.
Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the farmers' various demands.
The farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, 2024, after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.
