Delhi court denies bail to student activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam
A Delhi court has rejected the bail applications of student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who have been accused of orchestrating communal riots in Delhi in 2020.
Both Khalid and Imam have been in detention for more than five years without a full trial or conviction.
They sought bail on the ground that their continued incarceration without the commencement of trial violates their fundamental right to personal liberty.
Imam and Khalid moved the sessions court for bail after a Supreme Court bench recently questioned the denial of bail to the duo in January this year by another bench of the apex court.
The court in January had said that the “prolonged incarceration” of Khalid and Imam was not sufficient justification to grant them bail and that the pair had played a “central role in the conspiracy.”
Their application highlighted that, despite more than 6 months having passed since the Supreme Court’s judgment denying them bail, there has been no meaningful progress in the trial proceedings, with arguments on the charge still incomplete, India’s legal news portal Bar and Bench reported.
Khalid and Imam, were detained after the 2020 sectarian riots in Delhi when 53 people were killed, most of them Muslims but also several Hindus. They have made several similar failed attempts to secure bail but are still awaiting a full trial or conviction.
Delhi government withdraws work from home policy for employees as Middle East tensions ease
The Delhi government has withdrawn the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement after the “geopolitical situation has practically normalized,” according to the Chief Minister’s office.
The work from home policy, which allowed government employees to work remotely twice a week — on Wednesdays and Saturdays — had been introduced in May as part of energy conservation measures following disruptions to global oil supplies during the conflict in the Middle East.
“Now that the geopolitical situation has practically normalized, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has approved the withdrawal of Work from Home on Wednesdays and Saturday,” her office said.
In May, Gupta had announced a series of measures, including work-from-home for two days in government offices each week, staggered office schedules, and a ban on official foreign travel for the next year.
The measures came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to conserve fuel and reduce foreign exchange outflow amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
Third batch of Amarnath pilgrims departs from Jammu to Kashmir
The third batch of 4,812 pilgrims left the base camp in Jammu in two separate convoys to join the annual Hindu Amarnath pilgrimage in Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
The 57-day-long Amarnath pilgrimage began this year amid unprecedented security deployment.
The multi-layered security apparatus accompanying the pilgrimage includes no-fly zones along the twin yatra routes, watch towers to keep vigil and real-time monitoring of vehicular movement, according to Indian newspaper The Indian Express.
On the first day of the pilgrimage, more than 12,000 visitors offered prayers at the 3,880 metre-high Amarnath cave shrine.
Indian government designates 23 from Pakistan as ‘terrorists’
The Indian government has designated 23 individuals based in Pakistan as “terrorists” under its anti-terrorism law, known as the the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said.
The individuals, according to the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, are linked to militant groups including Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The government amended the UAPA in August 2019 to include a provision which allows it to designate an individual as a “terrorist.”
Prior to this amendment, only organizations could be designated as terrorist organizations.
Including the names of terrorists in the list will allow the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to block their finances, impose an embargo on arms sales, and seize their assets.
With the latest addition of 23 names, the list now includes 80 individuals designated as terrorists, according to a report by Indian newspaper Hindustan Times.
Those newly added to the list reportedly include three close aides of Hafiz Saeed — the founder of LeT who is accused of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed over 160 people and injured hundreds more.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-government-lists-23-pakistanis-as-terrorists/live-77830565
