SC issues notice to Dasna Devi temple priest on contempt plea
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday sought response of Ghaziabad's Dasna Devi temple priest Yati Narsinghanand in a contempt petition filed against him for alleged derogatory remarks made by him against the top court last year.
A bench of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh issued notice to the priest and asked him to file his reply on a plea filed by activist Shachi Nelli.
During the brief hearing, senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan informed the bench that they have received the consent of then attorney general KK Venugopal for the contempt petition against the alleged contemnor Narsinghnand.
The top court had on October 10 last year asked the petitioner to furnish transcription of contents of the video carrying the statements made by Narasinghnand.
On January 22, 2022, Venugopal had granted his consent to a request made by Nelli for initiation of contempt proceedings against the priest.
According to section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, consent of the Attorney General is required before the Supreme Court hears a criminal contempt petition filed by a private individual.
Nelli, in his plea, pointed out an alleged contemptuous statement made by Narasinghnand in an interview given to a Youtube channel which went viral on social media on January 14, 2022.
The statements were made in the interview conducted in context of the Haridwar hate speech case pending in the top court.
"The statement being so obviously contemptuous of this court, the petitioner, a social activist, wrote to the Attorney General for consent to initiate contempt against the alleged contemnor, who has granted the same", the plea of Nelli said.
It added, "The alleged contemnor has a huge reach and influence and his statement has been spread far and wide by his followers and sympathisers, leading to widespread disaffection for this court, thereby undermining its authority and bringing its majesty into disrepute".
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Explosion near CRPF School in Delhi caused by lit cigarette butts: Report
New Delhi: The investigation team that probed the explosion that took place outside the CRPF School in the Prashant Vihar area of the city on October 20 morning has reportedly not found any terror force behind the blast.
The investigation team, consisting of Delhi Police and staff members from central agencies, has stated in its report that cigarette butts thrown by a local resident might have come in contact with industrial waste and have caused the explosion. Circumstantial evidence does not show the incident to have a terror angle to it, reports The Indian Express.
The Delhi Police, the city bomb squad and the fire brigade had rushed to the spot following the explosion, which was initially believed to have been caused by a crude bomb. The forensic experts who inspected the spot hinted at the presence of potassium chlorate, hydrogen peroxide and some electrical wires there. The school wall had been damaged and the windows of a car nearby had shattered in the explosion.
The investigation team scanned the CCTV camera footage and zeroed in on around 10 people questioned. A senior police officer said that a North Delhi-based businessman from Prashant Vihar was found to be present at the spot around five minutes before the explosion, as he had come there on Sunday morning to walk his dog. The CCTV footage showed him smoking and, after questioning him, the team concluded that he had left lit cigarette butts before leaving the spot, the officer added.
The spot where the explosion took place is learned to have been usually used for dumping garbage and also has a public urinal.
An officer has said that the Delhi Police had consulted forensic and technical experts of the National Security Guard regarding the things found on the explosion site but are yet to get the report. The officer added that they have found no detonator so far.
