Man, who attempted to smuggle Indian star tortoises, distracted authorities & fled Bengaluru airport
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The Hindu
28 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Madras High Court orders commencement of trial
The Madras High Court on Monday (August 11, 2025) ordered the commencement of trial in a 10-year-old defamation suit filed by former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni seeking ₹100 crore in damages from Zee Media Corporation, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer G. Sampath Kumar, and News Nation Network for having dragged his name in to the IPL betting scam. Justice C.V. Karthikeyan also appointed an advocate commissioner to record the evidence of Mr. Dhoni on mutually convenient premises, to all the parties involved and their counsel, in Chennai. The advocate commissioner was appointed as Mr. Dhoni's personal appearance at the High Court, for the examination in chief as well as cross-examination by the defendants, might lead to chaos due to him being a celebrity. The orders were passed after senior counsel P.R. Raman submitted an affidavit sworn by Mr. Dhoni expressing his intent to proceed with the trial in the defamation suit pending since 2014. The cricketer said that he would be available for examination as well as cross-examination between October 20, 2025, and December 10, 2025, and that the venue and specific dates could be fixed on the basis of mutual convenience. 'The above request is made with the intent to avoid any undue delay (in disposal of the suit pending in the High Court for over a decade) and to support the fair, just, and speedy adjudication of the suit. I state that I shall extend my full co-operation with the Advocate Commissioner and comply with all directions issued by this honourable court regarding the trial and the recording of evidence,' the affidavit read. When Mr. Raman, assisted by advocate Sandesh Saravanan, requested the court to consider appointing a retired district judge as an advocate commissioner for recording evidence, Justice Karthikeyan said that he would pick a name from a list maintained by the High Court. He also stated that the defamation suit would be listed for hearing before the court after the completion of recording of evidence in full. The trial in the suit had got delayed for over 10 years because of multiple applications taken out by the parties seeking one relief or another. In December 2023, a Division Bench of Justices S.S. Sundar (since retired) and Sunder Mohan had convicted the retired IPS officer of criminal contempt of court and sentenced him to 15 days of simple imprisonment. However, the Supreme Court stayed the punishment in 2024. Mr. Dhoni had filed the contempt plea against the retired IPS officer for having made contumacious remarks against the Supreme Court as well as the High Court while defending the defamation suit. In July 2022, the then Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram had granted permission to the cricketer to proceed with the contempt plea, after being satisfied that the remarks made by Mr. Kumar, in his written statement to the suit, amounted to scandalising court proceedings.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Traveler says it took ‘1 minute' to be ‘welcomed back' to US, urges ‘race baiters' to stop spreading airport rumors
A Reddit user has urged people to 'stop fear mongering' and spreading what they believe is a false narrative about people being harassed at US airports. This comes after various reports of travelers claiming they faced intimidation and discrimination by immigration officials at US airports. Traveler says it took '< 1 minute' to be 'welcomed back' to US, urges 'race baiters' to stop spreading airport rumors The user wrote on Reddit, 'Traveling from Mexico city to Dallas, I was traveling by myself. I have green card through marriage. I have been in the US for 14 years at this point. Not as much as a parking ticket. I was running late for a connection, and the customs officer was empathetic about the delay, and it took me < 1 minute to be 'welcomed back'.' Read More | Can US immigration officers search your phone and laptop? Know your rights at airports if you're planning a trip to US 'For all of you race baiters, I am brown with a dark long beard. Stop fear mongering. There have been isolated incidents with people from all over the world, not just brown people. There is also immense misinformation spreading around some cases. So if you are scared, that's valid. If you don't want to be scared, that's valid too because there isn't any rational reason especially if you don't have a prior record of any kind,' the person added. 'I'm sick and tired of the race baiting' Several people travelling to the United States have reported increased scrutiny at airports, with some claiming they are being subjected to random searches, according to USA Today. While immigration authorities may not be breaking the law by extensively searching travellers, the experiences have left individuals unsettled, according to them. Read More | Indian woman detained for 8 hours at US airport: 'Checked by male officer, stripped' However, in the comment section, most Reddit users agreed with the traveler who shared their experience. 'I came in through JFK a few weeks ago and watched the visa line with interest. Longest it took anyone was 30 seconds. Which I found odd, because according to Reddit, they all get sent to El Salvador,' one user wrote. 'Yeah my wife (brown and got a green card a couple months ago) and i drove to Mexico and drove back and aside from a doggy taking a sniff at the trunk they didn't even really talk to us either way. I think they mostly rely on tech and dogs for trafficking and smuggling and only question immigration status if they have probable cause. The stories of 'My uncle was born in Boston but immigration took him at the border and now he's dangling from a helicopter in El Salvador because be has brown eyes' all seem to be fake when you investigate them even a tiny bit. Making up stories like that is not something I can logically understand or have any drive to do but I don't logically understand feet porn either,' another wrote. 'AMEN!!!! As a fellow brown person (hispanic) I'm sick and tired of the race baiting! Obviously more hispanics are stopped as we make up a disproportionate percentage of legal and illegal immigrants. But don't use our skin color as an example for your politics. Legals get through easy. Illegals have a hard time. I love that about this country,' one user wrote. Another said, 'Yup got in from overseas two weeks ago. I have an expired GC with an extension letter. It was the smoothest entry I have ever had.' 'Returned from Colombia and buzzed through in like 10 seconds. One question what was I doing traveling to Colombia. I answered and the guy gave me pass real quick. No sweat,' another said.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Govt plans changes to bankruptcy code to resolve clashes with money-laundering law
The Indian government is preparing amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to streamline its interplay with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after asset attachments by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) highlighted conflicts between the statutes, two people informed about discussions in the government said. Close to a dozen court orders with conflicting interpretations of the immunity from prosecution and asset protection granted under IBC to an unrelated new management of the bankrupt company necessitated these legislative amendments, they added. The idea is to ensure that the two laws work cohesively, they said, adding discussions are underway at the highest levels of government about the legislative changes needed for this. 'Officials of the ministry of corporate affairs, the revenue department and the regulators have already held discussions on the matter. The government is attempting to bring a bill in the current session of Parliament, but if the necessary approvals take longer, it may be introduced in the winter session," said one of the two people cited above, adding that the specifics of the legislative changes would be finalised soon. Clarity needed A dozen or so court orders since 2018, including the 2 May Supreme Court order in the case of Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd, have raised questions about the interplay of the two laws and an urgent need for more clarity, said the other person cited above. On 2 May the Supreme Court said the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT's) stay on the ED's ₹4,025-crore asset attachment was invalid as NCLT and NCLAT could not review public law actions. That order also annulled JSW Steel's ₹19,300-crore debt resolution plan for Bhushan Power and Steel. The court, however, left open the interpretation of the IBC provision that protects assets from attachment by law enforcement agencies such as ED for pre-debt resolution offences, subject to riders. But on 31 July the Supreme Court recalled its judgement, terming it a case fit for review. Another ongoing case in the Supreme Court—committee of creditors vs Directorate of Enforcement—is considering questions on the primacy of IBC Section 32A over PMLA and NCLT's jurisdiction, said the first person quoted above. Section 32A of the IBC offers immunity from prosecution to the new, unrelated management of a bankrupt company and protects its assets from being attached for violations under the previous management. The idea is to encourage investor participation in distressed assets and give such companies the best possible chance of a revival by offering a clean slate. It took effect in December 2019 with the aim of furthering the government's goal of accelerating debt resolution and improving the health of the corporate and financial sectors. Subodh Dandawate, associate director - regulatory services at Nexdigm said, 'To uphold the IBC's objective and ensure legal clarity, it is essential to amend Section 32A, reinforcing its supremacy over conflicting statutes such as the PMLA during the bankruptcy resolution process." The 'clean slate' principle enshrined in the provision is vital to attract resolution applicants, he added. 'However, conflicts between the IBC and the PMLA – both containing overriding clauses – have led to inconsistent judicial interpretations. Courts have even held against the jurisdiction of NCLT and NCLAT in PMLA-related matters, creating uncertainty around Section 32A's application," Dandawate said. Queries emailed to Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, the ED, the ministry of corporate affairs and the finance ministry remained unanswered.
