Dave for SIT probe into Loya death case

WON’T MAKE RAPE GENDER NEUTRAL: SC JALLIKATTU GOES TO CONSTITUTION BENCH

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave made a fervent plea in the Supreme Court on Friday for a probe by a special investigation team into the death of B.H. Loya, for CBI judicial officer under mysterious circumstances on December 1, 2014 in Nagpur.

Appearing for the Bombay High Courts Advocates’ Association, Mr Dave told a three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud that such an independent probe was necessary in view of bundle of contradictions in the report of the commissioner of intelligence, Maharashtra. He said the death of Loya was a serious matter and unless a thorough probe was conducted the entire truth would not come out.

He criticised the Maharasthra government for resisting and opposing SIT probe. He said none of the medical or hospital records are made available and judicial officers who were with Loya in the guesthouse had made contradictory statements about the manner and time of Loya’s death.

Mukul Rohatgi, counsel for Maharashtra, along with Harish Salve, told the bench that after the publication of various media reports, a discreet inquiry was instituted to examine the circumstances in which Loya had died in December 2014. Mr Rohatgi said according to the report, four judicial officers who accompanied Loya to the hospital after he complained of chest pain have denied any foul play. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL for making laws pertaining to rape, sexual harassment, stalking, voyeurism, outraging the modesty, etc gender-neutral offence to punish both man and woman.

A three-judge bench dismissed at the admission stage the PIL filed by adv. Rishi Malhotra describing it as “imaginative and innovative”. The CJI told the counsel “These are affirmative provisions (in the IPC) for the protection of women and in their favour. We cannot agree with your argument. This appears to us like an imaginative petition. Actually these are a valid classification.” New Delhi: A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court will examine whether Jallikattu can get constitutional protection as a ‘traditional and cultural fundamental right’. A bench referred a batch of petitions filed challenging the validity of the law passed by Tamil Nadu to allow Jallikattu in the state.

The state had argued that by amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to remove Jallikattu from the ambit of PC Act, the state had not sanctified “cruelty”. The state had passed rules to prevent cruelty of animals, like pouring chilli powers, piercing with a weapon, no liquor and no whipping etc.