Protesting wrestlers detained, police clearing protest site at Jantar Mantar
New Delhi (PTI): Protesting wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia were detained by Delhi Police on Sunday after they breached the security cordon while trying to move towards the new Parliament building, where a women's Mahapanchayat was planned for the day.
In chaotic scenes witnessed at the Jantar Mantar, wrestlers and police officers shoved and pushed each other as Vinesh Phogat and her cousin sister Sangeeta Phogat tried to breach the barricades.
All protesters were detained and forcefully boarded in buses by Police.
"They have been detained for violating law and order. We will take legal action after inquiry in due course of time," said Dependra Pathak, Special CP, Law and Order.
The police officials were also seen clearing the protest site, where the wrestlers had resumed their agitation against the Wresting Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on April 23.
The Delhi Police had beefed up the security at Jantar Mantar following protesting wrestlers' call for a 'Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat'.
Thousands of police personnel were deployed and multiple layers of barricades were in place in the Lutyens' Delhi area on Sunday.
The wrestlers protesting sitting about two kilometres from the Parliament building had said they will go ahead with their 'Mahapanchayat' near the new Parliament building at any cost.
However, Police said no protester will be allowed to move towards the new building as permission has not been granted to hold the event and the wrestlers should not be involved in any "anti-national activity".
The agitating wrestlers, including likes of Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia, Sakshi and Asian Games gold winner Vinesh have been demanding the arrest of outgoing WFI President Brij Bhushan Singh who they have accused of sexually harassing several women grapplers.
The wrestlers had said that use of force by police will not deter them from going ahead with their peaceful march and the Mahapanchayat.
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CCI probe order on Amazon, Flipkart: SC transfers all pending cases to Karnataka HC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday transferred to Karnataka High Court petitions of Amazon and Flipkart, challenging a Competition Commission of India order for a probe into the e-commerce giants for alleged malpractices.
A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said if pleadings in some of the transferred petitions were not completed, the judge seized of the matter would grant reasonable time to complete the pleadings.
"It will be appropriate if all the petitions which are the subject matter of this transfer petition are transferred for hearing to the High Court of Karnataka," the bench said.
During the hearing, Attorney General R Venkataramani informed the apex court that, after filing of the present petition by fair trade regulator the Competition Commission of India (CCI), five pleas had been filed in different high courts.
The top court directed that these petitions be transferred to the High Court of Karnataka.
"If similar petitions are hereafter instituted in any other high court, the same shall be also covered by this order," the bench said.
The apex court had earlier issued a notice on the plea filed by the CCI, which sought the transfer of the petitions filed by the e-commerce giants from the high courts to the top court or Delhi High Court.
In its plea before the top court, the CCI sought directions to transfer either to the Supreme Court or Delhi High Court the cases pending before the high courts of Allahabad, Madras, Telangana, Punjab and Haryana, Delhi, and Karnataka.
The fair trade regulator ordered the probe into Flipkart and Amazon following allegations of malpractices, including deep discounting and tie-ups with preferred sellers on their platforms.
The CCI's probe order came after a complaint by the Delhi Vyapar Mahasang, whose members comprise many traders of smartphones and related accessories.
Amazon and Flipkart filed separate petitions in various high courts, challenging the CCI's probe order.
