Day after arrest by ED, Gujarat Samachar owner gets temporary bail on health grounds
Ahmedabad, May 16 (PTI): A court in Ahmedabad on Friday granted bail to one of the owners of leading Gujarati daily 'Gujarat Samachar' Bahubali Shah till May 31 on health grounds a day after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.
Principal district and sessions judge K M Sojitra ordered Shah's release on interim bail while adjourning the hearing on his application for regular bail to May 31.
The sessions court directed Shah, 73, to furnish a surety and personal bond of Rs 10,000. It also imposed the condition that the investigating agency must be informed about his health status every other day, and he must cooperate with the investigation subject to his medical condition.
The ED , which arrested Shah at 8 pm on Thursday, did not oppose interim bail, stating it was giving its consent "strictly on humanitarian grounds and extreme medical condition of the accused."
Shah is one of the directors of Lok Prakashan Limited which owns `Gujarat Samachar'. His elder brother Shreyansh Shah is the managing editor of the daily.
Soon after his arrest, Shah was taken to a government hospital after his health deteriorated, and from there to a private hospital where he was admitted in the ICU, the court was informed.
He approached the court seeking interim bail on the grounds of "serious medical/health condition."
"The medical certificate of Zydus Hospital dated Friday reveals that he is admitted in ICU...along with other medical conditions he is diagnosed Vertigo, Left paramedian infarct and having a complaint of drowsiness and blurry vision," the court noted in the order.
The "interest of justice would be served if the accused is ordered to be released on interim bail during the pendency of hearing of his regular bail application with conditions," the judge added.
Shah's lawyer said he approached the court with a regular bail application, but at present he was confining the arguments for interim bail "on humanitarian ground" due to his client's serious medical condition.
The ED will be provided updates of Shah's medical condition and he will cooperate fully with the investigation, the lawyer assured.
The central agency has not yet issued any statement about the reasons behind Shah's arrest.
The ED conducted searches at the offices of GSTV, a Gujarati news channel run by Shreyansh Shah, in Ahmedabad on Thursday evening. The ED team arrived soon after the Income Tax department searched the premises for 36 hours, said Tushar Dave, head of digital services at GSTV, in a Facebook post.
MLA and Gujarat Congress working president Jignesh Mevani alleged that the newspaper and its owners were being targeted, because for the last 25 years, Gujarat Samachar has been publishing reports critical of the Union government.
Media bodies in the national capital also expressed concern over Bahubali Shah's arrest by the ED.
The Press Club of India, Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Association, Delhi Union of Journalists, Kerala Union of Working Journalists, Working News Cameramen's Association said the ED action "reflects a troubling assault on press freedom and democratic values that uphold the right to free expression in India."
The arrest raises questions about the misuse of state machinery to muzzle media houses and suppress dissenting voices, they said in a joint statement.
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New Zealand women's captain Sophie Devine to retire from ODIs after World Cup
Auckland, Jun 17 (PTI): New Zealand women's team captain and prolific all-rounder Sophie Devine will retire from the ODIs after the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka later this year.
The 35-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most prolific all-rounders in women's cricket, having amassed 3990 runs from 152 ODIs at an average of 31.66 with the help of eight centuries. She has also scored 3431 runs from 146 T20Is with one century.
She has also taken 107 and 119 wickets in the ODIs and T20Is respectively. She, however, has not played in any Test.
"It feels like the right time for me to start stepping away. I feel very fortunate to have NZC’s support in finding a solution that means I can still give to the WHITE FERNS," said Devine in a statement issued by New Zealand Cricket on Tuesday.
Devine's statement came ahead of the announcement of the 17 centrally contracted players by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Wednesday. She will remain available for T20I cricket on a "casual playing arrangement" but will not be centrally contracted.
"It's important that everyone knows I'm focused and dedicated to giving this group everything I can before I step away. I'm really excited by where this young group’s going and I'm looking forward to playing my part in the next six to nine months."
Her decision to retire after the ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2 came after Devine took a break from cricket to prioritise her mental health in January. She will lead the team in the ODI World Cup in September.
Devine was permanent captain of the White Ferns in 2020, and has since led the team to new heights, including a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and a maiden ICC Women's T20 World Cup victory last year.
NZC's head of women's high performance Liz Green said Devine had the organisation's full support.
"Sophie's given nearly 20 years of service to the White Ferns and NZC is fully supportive of her quest to find more balance at this stage in her career," Green said.
"We're pleased to be able to reach an agreement that means she can continue to be involved with the White Ferns on a case-by-case basis, whilst opening up the opportunity for another player to be contracted in full."
NZC Chief Executive Scott Weenink praised Devine’s contribution to the White Ferns.
"Sophie has been an extraordinary leader and ambassador for the WHITE FERNS. Supporting her move to a casual playing agreement will allow her to continue contributing to the WHITE FERNS environment," he said.
The White Ferns are scheduled to begin their World Cup campaign against seven-time champions Australia on October 1 in Indore.
