Pregnant woman gang-raped in Gurugram
Gurugram, May 26: A six-month pregnant woman was allegedly gang-raped by an autorickshaw driver and his two accomplices in Manesar here, police said on Saturday.
The victim, 23, approached the police four days after she was victimised.
"A case under Section 376D (gang rape) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Women Police Station, Manesar, against unknown autorickshaw driver and others," a senior police officer told IANS.
The police said the victim, who hails from Bihar, had been residing in Manesar area with her husband and two-and-half-year-old son.
The victim was employed at a vehicle showroom in Manesar.
On May 21, when the incident took place, the woman had visited the ESI Hospital in Sector 3 of Manesar for a routine checkup of her pregnancy with her husband on his bicycle.
"While returning, she complained to her husband that she was not comfortable on bicycle. Victim's husband asked her to take shared autorickshaw to reach their rented house in the nearby village. But she did not reach home for hours until very late," said the officer.
Later, the victim was found in a semi-conscious condition in Sector 6 of Manesar.
"The victim reached the Women Police Station on Friday evening with her husband after she developed some complications in her pregnancy. A case was registered after her medical examination. Doctors, however, said the foetus is stable," the officer added.
The victim told the police that the accused gave her a glass of water, after drinking which she fell unconscious.
"I can recall that they were three. But I don't know the place they took me to," she said in her complaint.
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SC upholds inclusion of ‘secular, socialist’ in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, confirming their retrospective application from November 26, 1949. The court ruled that the power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 extends to the Preamble, which is an integral part of the document.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated, “The power under Article 368 cannot be curtailed. It will equally apply to the Preamble.” The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced these terms in 1976 during the Emergency, was challenged on grounds of its retrospective application and the lack of states’ ratification.
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, argued that the amendment forced a particular economic theory on the nation and violated the original intent of the Constitution. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that the Preamble reflects the will of the people at the time of adoption in 1949 and is therefore unalterable.
The court dismissed these objections, affirming that both socialism and secularism are part of the Constitution's Basic Structure. The Bench clarified that socialism refers to a welfare state ensuring equality of opportunity without negating private sector participation or individualism. It emphasised that secularism is embedded in the Constitution, particularly in the principles of equality and fraternity.
Chief Justice Khanna remarked, “Secularism has always been a core feature of the Constitution.” He added that the amendment did not impose socialism as dogma but aligned with the welfare goals enshrined in various constitutional provisions.
