Defamation case against Rahul Gandhi: Blank CD on LoP’s speech shocks court during hearing
Pune: In a dramatic twist during the hearing of the defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a CD that had been submitted before a Pune MP/MLA Special Court as key evidence was found to be blank when played in court on Thursday.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, has been accused of passing derogatory comments on Hindu ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, while speaking at an event in London. A complaint has been filed against Gandhi by Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew of Savarkar, in this regard.
The case is being heard by Magistrate Amol Shinde. A sealed CD reportedly containing a recording of Gandhi’s speech in London had been submitted earlier as part of the evidence, according to a report in India Today. The CD had also been played in court at cognizance stage, after which, the court issued summons to the LoP.
On Thursday, however, during Satyaki Savarkar’s examination-in-chief, the CD was opened and played, only for the court to find that it contained no data.
The unexpected development shocked the complainant’s Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, who pointed out that the CD had previously been played before the court and accepted as the basis for issuing summons to Gandhi. The lawyer requested the court to view the speech on YouTube directly.
Gandhi’s advocate Milind Dattatray Pawar objected strongly on grounds that online content was not automatically admissible and the objection was upheld on legal grounds by the magistrate.
The complainant’s lawyer later produced two other CDs, urging the Pune court to check them in open, to which, Pawar objected and the court again dismissed the plea by the advocate.
Kolhatkar requested for adjournment of hearing, seeking to challenge the rejections and to initiate a judicial inquiry regarding the CD turning blank.
While Pawar again challenged the request, the court agreed to list the case for further hearing.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
No intervention in foundation stone-laying of Babri-style mosque in Murshidabad, says Cal HC
Kolkata (PTI): The Calcutta High Court on Friday refused to intervene in the construction of a mosque – modelled on Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid – at Beldanga in West Bengal's Murshidabad, proposed by suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir.
The court's observation comes ahead of the scheduled foundation-laying ceremony for the proposed 'Babri Masjid' on December 6, which also marks the anniversary of the demolition of the original sanctum.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, after hearing a PIL seeking a stay on the foundation stone laying ceremony for the proposed mosque, directed that the responsibility of maintenance of law and order would rest with the West Bengal government.
The PIL, which was filed on Thursday, sought the stay on grounds that the ceremony could disrupt communal harmony in the region.
The petitioner prayed that the court should take immediate action against Kabir’s provocative remarks that have allegedly disrupted communal harmony.
“The writ petition pertains to stop foundation stone laying of Babri Masjid in Beldanga Block 1, Murshidabad to maintain Law and order...The MLA has been using filthy and derogatory statements and hate speech against a community, which causes breach of public tranquility. Such kind of statements and hate speech over social media and You Tube news portal, being a Member of Legislative Assembly, may break the communal harmony of our state as well as our country,” the petition stated.
Kabir, who has hogged the limelight in the past with controversial statements on matters, including the party's internal affairs, was suspended by the Trinamool Congress on Thursday for indulging in what it termed “communal politics".
The suspended leader subsequently announced his decision to resign as MLA and launch his own party later this month.
_vb_05.jpeg)
