NIA submits charge sheet in Rameswaram cafe blast case
Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a charge sheet against four accused, Mussavir Hussain Shajib, Abdul Mateen Ahmed Taha, Maz Muneer Ahmed, and Muzammil Sharif, in connection with the Rameswaram Cafe blast case.
The charge sheet has been filed under the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act, and the Prevention of Destruction Act. The blast, which took place on March 1 at Rameswaram Cafe on ITPL Road, resulted in injuries to nine people, including customers and cafe staff.
Following the incident, the NIA took over the investigation and identified the involvement of Mussavir Hussain Shajib and Abdul Mateen Ahmed Taha. The two accused, who had gone missing after the blast, were arrested by NIA officials in West Bengal after 42 days.
The investigation also revealed that the accused had previously attempted to target the BJP office in Malleswaram, Bengaluru, during the Prana Pratishtana program of Lord Rama in Ayodhya on January 22. After the failure of this attempt, they allegedly planned and executed the blast at Rameswaram Cafe. The details of these events were mentioned in the charge sheet submitted to the special court by the NIA.
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Kapil Sibal informs SC about rape threats to female lawyers representing West Bengal in RG Kar case
New Delhi: Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that female lawyers from his chambers were receiving rape and physical harm threats for representing the State of West Bengal in the case concerning the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Sibal expressed concerns before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, stating that women in his chambers were being threatened with acid attacks and rape, and that posts were circulating about him laughing during the proceedings.
"There are threats to women in my chamber, and then there are posts about me laughing. People are saying acid will be thrown at them, and they will be raped," Sibal said.
The Court reassured him, with CJI Chandrachud stating, "If there are any such threats to any man or woman, we will step in."
Sibal also raised concerns about the impact of live-streaming the hearings on the lawyers’ reputations, stating that the 50-year reputation he had built was being destroyed overnight due to misinterpretations of court remarks. He requested the Court to halt the live-streaming, but the CJI declined, maintaining that it was in the public interest.
The case relates to the rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor, whose body was found on August 9 in a seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College. An autopsy confirmed that the doctor had been raped and murdered. The incident sparked protests across the country, with doctors demanding stronger laws and increased protection for medical professionals.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently handling the probe, following an order from the Calcutta High Court. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the matter, issuing several directives, including the establishment of a National Task Force to address issues related to the safety of medical professionals and gender-based violence. The Court also ordered the State of West Bengal to file a status report on the acts of vandalism that took place at the hospital following the incident and directed that Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security be deployed at the hospital.
The CBI is expected to submit a status report on the investigation soon.
