J-K governor appoints Kathua gang rape accused’s advocate as state law officer
New Delhi, July 18: The appointment of Aseem Sawhney, the lawyer for one of the accused in the Kathua gang rape and murder case, as an additional advocate general for the Jammu and Kashmir High Court by the state governor has come as a surprise to many.
Aseem’s father A.K. Sawhney — also a lawyer — has been representing the accused in the Pathankot district and sessions court, which is conducting the trial in the case on the orders of the Supreme Court.
Sometime back, Sawhney had purportedly made a startling claim that Pakistan-backed terrorists were trying to use Rasana — the place near Kathua where the eight-year-old victim was kept in confinement and repeatedly raped — as a base for launching attacks on Army establishments. He had also alleged that he was being threatened for representing the accused.
According to the order issued by the J&K law department Tuesday, Aseem Sawhney has been appointed to represent the government in the J&K High Court’s Jammu bench. He is one of the 16 lawyers appointed as law officers.
Sawhney’s Twitter bio identifies him as “a lawyer, journalist and honorary chief editorial consultant of Journeyline daily newspaper published from Jammu J&K”.
The Kathua case
The gang rape-cum-murder of the eight-year-old girl in January this year had led to massive outrage across the country. It also led to straining of ties between the then coalition partners in the J&K government — Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP and the BJP.
Investigation by ThePrint had brought to the fore the horrific manner in which the girl was raped.
The presence of two BJP ministers and some BJP MLAs at a protest meeting organised to rally support for the accused, where the ministers and MLAs also criticised their own government, had turned into a flashpoint between the allies, with the BJP finally pulling out of the government with the PDP last month.
Courtesy: theprint.in
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.
CPI(M) inaugurates NH-66 stretch in Kerala ahead of PM dedicates it to nation
Kochi (PTI): The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Wednesday inaugurated one of the completed stretches of NH-66, hours ahead of its dedication to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in protest against the exclusion of state PWD minister P A Mohammed Riyas from the PM's event.
Riyas, reportedly, will hold a roadshow on one of the completed stretches of the National Highway-66 that is scheduled to be inaugurated by the PM.
The Thalappady-Chengala stretch of NH 66 was inaugurated by CPI(M) MLA C H Kunhambu.
The roadshow by Riyas will be held on the Vengalam-Ramanattukara stretch of the Kozhikode bypass.
Both these stretches, which were upgraded to six lanes and already opened to the public, were set to be inaugurated by the PM at 12.30 pm here.
ALSO READ: Assam govt drops ex-president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed's name from medical college in Barpeta
According to government sources, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan won't attend the event, though his name is included in the programme schedule. However, no particular reason was cited for his decision to skip the event.
State Ministers M B Rajesh and K Krishnankutty, who have been invited to the PM's event, also said they are not taking part because of personal reasons.
In response to the CM and other ministers' decision, state BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters that, as per protocol Vijayan, being the head of the state, was invited for Modi's official event, and if the Marxist veteran was aggrieved over his son-in-law (Minister Riyas) not being there, that is his problem.
"As head of the state, the CM was invited in accordance with the protocol. It is nowhere said that the CM's son-in-law (Riyas) and other family members also have to be invited. If they have a problem with it, so be it. That is what I have to say," the BJP leader said.
"It was for the CM to decide who should accompany him. Elections will be held in the state in around 30 days. The CPI(M) is trying to create a controversy now as they know that after 30 days, Vijayan will not be CM and Riyas will not be a minister," Chandrasekhar said.
He further said that the CM was aware of the PM's visit 5-6 days in advance, and he did not say anything about who all should be invited.
"Why did he not say anything? This is all an attempt to create controversy. If you (CM) wanted a certain minister to accompany you, it should have been communicated to the government of India in advance. Why did you not do that? From what I know, the CM did not say anything to the Centre," the BJP state president claimed.
