New Delhi: Delhi court Special Judge Niyay Bindu has become the target of online troll from influential right-wing accounts on 'X' (formerly known as Twitter) following her decision to grant bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a liquor policy case.
These accounts have accused the judge of failing to thoroughly review the documents submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before making her decision.
The backlash comes after Special Judge Niyay Bindu granted bail to Kejriwal, a decision that has been met with disdain by supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and their associated online influencers. These individuals have used social media to question the judge's diligence and impartiality, alleging that she did not properly consider the extensive documentation provided by the ED.
Fact-checker and Alt News Co-founder Mohammed Zubair highlighted the wave of online attacks by sharing screenshots of several critical tweets. Zubair commented on his 'X' account, stating, "Tweets by influential right-wing X accounts targeting Delhi court Special Judge Niyay Bindu because she delivered a judgment they and their leaders didn't like. This is dangerous and scary."
Supporters of Judge Bindu have come forward to clarify the legal processes involved in bail hearings, which have been misunderstood by the critics. One user, replying to Zubair’s tweet, provided a detailed explanation:
"1. Scope of Bail Hearings: Bail hearings primarily focus on the arguments and key evidence presented by both parties rather than a detailed review of all submitted documents.
2. Judicial Efficiency: The judge acknowledged the volume of documents but emphasized the impracticality of reviewing thousands of pages at this juncture. This does not imply a neglect of duty but rather a focus on pertinent issues relevant to the bail decision. Also, did Swarn Kanta read all the 55,000 documents while rejecting the bail of AAP leaders (Manish Sisodia etc)."
The user emphasized that bail hearings are designed to address the immediate concerns related to bail, relying on critical evidence and arguments rather than a comprehensive analysis of all case documents. This perspective is shared by many legal experts who argue that the role of the judge in such hearings is to weigh the necessity and justification for bail, rather than delve into the full depth of the case, which would be more appropriate during a trial.
The online criticism against Judge Bindu has raised concerns about the increasing pressure on the judiciary from social media. Critics argue that such campaigns can undermine judicial independence and the fair administration of justice.
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Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
