Vandalisation case: Kerala HC stays trial against staff members of Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad office
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Kochi: The Kerala High Court has stayed trial proceedings in a case registered against staffers of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad office for allegedly causing damage to a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi kept inside the office.
Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan issued an interim order staying the proceedings at a local court against four staff members of Rahul Gandhi in the case which was registered last year.
In June last year, the student wing of the CPI(M) had allegedly vandalised the office during a protest and later a case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by a lawyer claiming that the photograph of Mahatma Gandhi was damaged by unnamed persons.
The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala had alleged that it was Rahul Gandhi's personal staff who had damaged Mahatma Gandhi's photo to put blame on SFI activists. The court, in an order dated July 13, also issued notice to the complainant in the case registered in 2022.
The petitioners claimed that they were added as accused, and a final report was filed by the police.
Advocate T Asif Ali, who appeared for the petitioners, said none of the witnesses have attributed any role to the four staff members in damaging Mahatma Gandhi's photo at the office.
The alleged incident was reported when a protest march of the SFI against the Congress leader turned violent.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
