Unnao rape case: SC stays Delhi HC order suspending Sengar's life sentence
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Delhi High Court's order suspending the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, and Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih also issued notice to Sengar seeking his response on the CBI's plea challenging the high court order.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, urged the bench to stay the high court order.
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The bench said it would examine the matter as it required consideration. It said Sengar shall not be released from custody following the high court's December 23 order.
Substantial questions of law arise for consideration in the matter, the bench said and posted the matter for hearing after four weeks.
The high court suspended the jail term of Sengar, who was serving life imprisonment in the Unnao rape case, saying he had already served seven years and five months in prison.
Sengar's sentence was suspended by the high court till the pendency of his appeal challenging his conviction and sentence in the rape case. He has challenged a December 2019 trial court verdict in the case.
The expelled BJP leader will, however, remain in jail since he is also serving 10 years' imprisonment in the custodial death case of the victim's father and has not been granted bail in that case.
The rape case and other connected cases were transferred to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 1, 2019.
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Some glitches can happen at any large event: Tharoor praises AI Summit
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday praised the AI Impact Summit, saying the first couple of days had gone "extremely well" and "some glitches" can happen at any "large event".
He said what has been impressive is the attendance of presidents, prime ministers, and world leaders who have come with a strong message of wanting to see a newly integrated world in artificial intelligence development.
While noting that the first couple of days went “extremely well” at the summit, Tharoor said there have been “some glitches” but such issues can happen at big events.
His remarks come a day after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi dubbed the ongoing AI Summit in Delhi a "disorganised PR spectacle" and alleged that Chinese products were being showcased there.
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior party leaders have also criticised the event, saying alleged mismanagement has resulted in "embarrassment" for the country.
Responding to a reporter's question after the launch event of his new book on Narayana Guru, Tharoor said, "Though I have not had the chance to go to the summit, I am speaking there tomorrow. From what I understand, these first couple of days have gone extremely well. There have been some glitches, some organisational things, these things happen in a large event."
"But by and large what has been impressive is the attendance... a number of presidents, prime ministers, and world leaders are here, and they've come with a strong message of wanting to see a newly integrated world in AI development, where the impact upon society would be the principle," Tharoor said.
"Preoccupation in India has clearly led the drive in this area," he added.
Asked about French President Emanuel Macron's remarks about procurement of Rafale jets by India and the Make in India component of the deal, Tharoor said as far as the French Rafale is concerned, parts of it are being manufactured in India.
That is a very important aspect of the deal because it is part of strengthening defence, but also increasing our self-reliance in the defence sector, he said.
"Defence is important for India not because we want to go to war, but because we don't want others to think that we are so weak that they can be tempted to go to war. It is a defensive defence literally, and that is what we are working for and I support the government on that,” he said.
On the upcoming film Kerala Story 2, Tharoor said the first film, Kerala Story, was a “hate-mongering film”.
“They were saying that thousands of people were converted, which is not true. I think there were around 30 such cases over a number of years. Ours is a very big country. If a case occurs here and there, it doesn't mean you should turn it into a big story and use it as propaganda,” Tharoor said.
“In our childhood, films like Amar Akbar Antony used to get entertainment tax exemptions,” he added.
