Rahul Gandhi moves Jharkhand HC to challenge personal appearance before MP-MLA court in Chaibasa
Ranchi, Jun 2 (PTI): Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday moved the Jharkhand High Court to challenge an order of the MP-MLA Special Court in Chaibasa, which had directed him to appear before it.
Gandhi has been directed to appear in person before the court in Chaibasa on June 26.
A case of defamation has been filed against the Congress MP by one Pratap Kumar for allegedly making defamatory statements against BJP leaders in a rally held in Chaibasa in 2018.
The parliamentarian, in his plea, has mentioned that he has already moved a petition seeking exemption from appearance before the Chaibasa court at this stage of the case.
The petition for exemption of appearance is pending before the high court for adjudication, Gandhi's plea said.
The lower court was also informed that the petition for exemption from appearance is pending before the high court.
In spite of this fact, the lower court refused to grant reprieve to Gandhi and ordered him to appear in person before the MP-MLA court in Chaibasa.
Gandhi has been facing the heat in a criminal prosecution filed by Kumar for allegedly having made defamatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Kumar, in his petition filed before the court of the magistrate in Chaibasa, had said that Gandhi's statements were defamatory and had been made purposely to malign the stature of Shah.
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
