
YSRCP rejects report on Tirupati stampede, demands CBI inquiry
The Andhra Pradesh cabinet headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday accepted the report submitted by Justice (retired) M Satyanarayana Murthy on the stampede that occurred at Padmavathi Park in Bairagipatteda, Tirupati on January 8, 2025.
Six devotees died and nearly 40 were injured in the stampede in Bairagipatteda near MGM School as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala Hills.
"The report seems to be predetermined as it has let off all the main persons responsible for the incident, which includes the TTD, revenue (department) and police officials, but has selectively picked two persons and made them scapegoats," said Reddy, addressing a press conference in the temple town.

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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
HC Orders Retrial In Anti-Sikh Riot Case
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News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Bar Council Issues Notices To 16 Lawyers in Punjab & Haryana HC Over 'Bench Hunting'
Last Updated: Bench hunting is an unethical practice where litigants or their counsel aim to have a case heard by a particular judge or bench perceived as favourable to secure a desired outcome The privilege committee of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has issued notices to 16 lawyers over allegations of bench hunting in the high court, considering it a severe threat to the dignity and ethics of the legal profession. Bench hunting, or forum shopping, is an unethical practice where litigants or their counsel aim to have a case heard by a particular judge or bench perceived as favourable to secure a desired outcome. Central to the controversy is the high-profile case of Roop Bansal v State of Haryana, a corruption case involving a Gurugram-based realtor and a former special CBI court judge. Certain advocates allegedly engaged in bench hunting to obtain favourable orders in this matter. The privilege committee has sought responses from several lawyers of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Supreme Court, as well as senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Mukul Rohatgi. 'This Committee is of the considered view that it is necessary at this stage to seek responses from Senior Advocates Sh. Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Sh. Mukul Rohatgi, in order to fairly and comprehensively adjudicate the matter at hand," the notice states. Those named in the notice include senior advocates Rakesh Nehra and Puneet Bali, as well as advocates JK Singla, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Aditya Aggarwal, Gagandeep Singh, Anmol Chandan, Baljeet Beniwal, Harsh Sharma, Sauhard Singh, Rupender Singh, Ankit Yadav, Ashim Singla, Aakash Sharma, Bindu, and APS Shergil. All have been directed to appear before the committee on August 16. The notice states that, prima facie, Singla orchestrated the plan but suggests it is 'highly unbelievable" that he acted alone, alleging that the effort was organised with ingenious minds possibly pulling strings behind the scenes. The privilege committee was formed on August 4, 2024, following directions from bar council chairman Rakesh Gupta and is headed by Raj Kumar Chauhan. The committee said documents placed before it allegedly indicate an attempt to manipulate the bench assignment process in the Punjab and Haryana HC. 'The sole objective of placing this matter, suo motu, before the Committee is to uphold the dignity of the legal profession, ensure the maintenance of legal ethics, and discharge the responsibilities entrusted under the law," the notice states. Citing an Indian Express report titled 'Reassigned case: Chief Justice Nagu hints at 'bench shopping', says bar being destroyed', the committee stressed on the seriousness of the issue, noting that there appears to be 'foul play" by advocates representing Roop Bansal, who may have manipulated procedural rules for convenience and gain. 'In India, common people knock on the doors of the court with the help of noble advocates. Here, Roop Bansal tried to break the door of the court with the help of some ingenious-minded advocates. The matters pertaining to M3M and Roop Bansal, pending before the Hon'ble Punjab & Haryana High Court, need to be watched carefully. The Bar Council cannot remain idle as a mere spectator. It is duty-bound to protect the dignity and ethics of the profession. The Committee must trace out the rotten apples from the basket before all get spoiled," the notice states. Describing the incident as 'painful and disturbing", the committee observed that certain advocates had allegedly attempted to manipulate bench allocation in a tactful, systematic, and organised manner. The committee said the court is regarded as the temple of justice and that any attempt to subvert it, whether driven by greed or manipulation, must be addressed with utmost seriousness. Drawing a parallel with the Mahabharata, the committee said: 'We are reminded of the Mahabharata, where the silence of wise men in Duryodhana's court led to the disrobing of Draupadi. This serves as a grim reminder that silence and inaction in the face of injustice enable further injustice." 'Legal ethics are not optional. They are sacred. Upholding the dignity of this noble profession requires moral courage, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to truth," it added. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : punjab and haryana high court view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Cyber fraudsters exploit Sadakat Khan's name in digital arrest scams
Hyderabad: Cyber fraudsters, suspected to be operating from Cambodia, are allegedly using the name of their former associate Sadakat Khan to target victims from Telangana and other states in digital arrest frauds. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In 2025 alone, at least 10 victims from the state reported that the fraudsters, posing as CBI sleuths, extorted crores of rupees by threatening to arrest them in human trafficking cases linked to Khan. On Nov 6, 2024, immigration officials at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi had intercepted Sadakat Khan, a native of Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, after he arrived from Dubai based on the look out circular (LOC) issued by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) sleuths. The LOC was issued following a case registered at TGCSB headquarters police station in Hyderabad after a complaint from a woman in Sircilla on April 20, 2024. The complainant alleged that her son, who had completed graduation, was lured by Sadakat Khan and others with a job offer in Cambodia. "Sadakat, through his local associates, had collected 1.4 lakh from the victim on Jan 11, 2024, by offering a computer operator job in Cambodia for $950 monthly salary," a TGCSB investigator. After reaching Cambodia in Jan 2024, the victim was made to work for 16-17 hours per day in a cyber crime factory where over 500 other Indians were also employed. When the victim called his mother and explained his ordeal, she approached TGCSB, and a case was registered. Based on her complaint, Telangana police, through the ministry of external affairs, contacted Cambodian officials, and the victim was rescued. During the interrogation of Sadakat, TGCSB sleuths discovered that he had been working from Dubai as a mediator between India-based job consultants and cyber crime operators in Cambodia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A few months after his arrest, a new trend has emerged in digital arrest frauds. Fraudsters posing as police and CBI officials began calling victims, threatening to arrest them for alleged links with Sadakat Khan. While most of these cases were reported in Telangana, the use of Sadakat Khan's name in digital arrest cases was also noted in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Almost all the victims were senior citizens, and a victim from Hyderabad lost over 1.1 crore. "We suspect that Cambodia-based gangs, who used to work with Sadakat, have been using his name to dupe victims from Telangana. When offenders posing as cops take his name while executing a digital arrest scam, victims often check it online and see news articles about Sadakat's arrest. Sadakat is currently out on bail in the two human trafficking cases he was accused of," a TGCSB official said.