4-yr-old...

The speed displayed in this case is an exception, not the norm in a country where there were 133,000 rape cases pending at the end of 2016 according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Although both state governments and the Centre have repeatedly promised speedy trials in rape cases, many drag on for years.

The previous fastest trial in a rape case in the state took place in 2005 when a Jodhpur court took 11 working days to convict an auto rickshaw driver and his accomplice in the rape of a German woman.

In another case, an Alwar court finished the trial in the rape of a German woman by Bitti Mohantry, son of a senior Odisha police officer, in 15 days.

In the Sikar case, the fouryear-old girl was found in a burial ground around 9 pm on January 30, a few furlongs away from where she lived with her parents in a shanty, said police sub-inspector Surendra Kumar Saini, who investigated the case.

“She was missing for two hours when her parents began looking for her. They found her in the burial ground with a man later identified as Karan. The girl was bleeding and the man got injured when he tried to escape. Both were taken to hospital. Later, doctors referred the girl to JK Lone Hospital and the man to Sikar’s district hospital,” the police officer said. The Khatu police station registered a case against the suspect, who does not use a surname, on January 31, on the complaint given by the girl’s family. The man was arrested the same day and was sent to judicial custody the next day. He is from Gujarat and belongs to the Kacchi Mali caste. He lives with his aunt’s family. The girl’s parents exchange utensils for old clothes as they go around villages.

On February 2, police officer Saini went to Jaipur to record the girl’s statement. The process in which she identified the man from the mug shots was recorded on camera and the CD of this was presented in court. Prosecutor Sharma said the girl was brought to court on February 7 where she again identified the suspected rapist from the mug shots.

“We took the case under the case officer scheme, a programme in which police officers ensure that the witnesses don’t turn hostile so that they get a conviction, and finished the investigation in four days,” said Amandeep Singh Kapoor, Sikar’s superintendent of police. He added that the charge sheet was filed on February 4.

Child rights activist Rakesh Tiwari said, “The government machinery needs to bring justice to children whose parents don’t report the cases...in the rural areas, offenders silence parents with money or muscle power. Police needs to prevent such compromises and ensure those cases are also reported and perpetrators brought to justice,” he said. ing that the common goal is to oust the BJP in the Centre.

A second TDP leader said on condition of anonymity that there could be many “friendly fights” in Andhra, and even in West Bengal. “We can also think of a common minimum programme at the national level,” this person added.andhra Pradesh will have simultaneous elections to the state assembly and the Lok Sabha.though the contest will be by and large triangular between the TDP, Congress and the YSR Congress Party of YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the BJP and movie star Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena are also trying to make their presence felt.

Reddy has stepped up pressure on the TDP over the unfulfilled demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Naidu walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March last year, protesting against the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Since then, he has taken the lead in stitching up an alliance of Opposition parties as an alternative to the Bjp-led NDA. Naidu hopes to retain Andhra Pradesh and win enough Lok Sabha seats to have a voice in an anti-modi coalition in the Centre. “We will win at least 20 out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh,” said Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh, who is a minister in his government. In yet another broadside against the BJP, opposition leaders are set to meet at a mega rally at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Wednesday and seek to corner the Modi government on various issues. The rally is being organised by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP. Gopal Rai, AAP Delhi convenor, said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Naidu, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and NCP chief Sharad Pawar would attend the rally. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other parties would address the rally, he said. about the plight of women, apparently referring to the practice of open defecation prevalent in the countryside.

“The disdain shown by persons who were born with a golden spoon in their mouth does not affect me at all. Let them insult me but I will continue to work towards ensuring the dignity of women,’’ Modi said.

The Prime Minister said Haryana had a special place in his heart as it was from the state in 2014 that he had been showered with blessings when the BJP announced him as the prime ministerial candidate.

“And today again I am here on this land of Kurukshetra to seek blessings from the mothers of this country,’’ he said, in a reference to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“The one rank-one pension promise was made by me from this very land, the Beti Bachaobeti Padhao programme was also started from here. And the first beneficiary of Ayushman Bharat scheme was also from Haryana. Whatever affection I got from the people of Haryana, I have tried to return it with byaj (interest),” the Prime Minister said.

Attacking the Congress, Modi said that there were some who tried to detach the people from their heritage and history. “These people thought the history of this country began from 1947 and from one family,’’ he said. Both Rao and Bhasuran were present in court during the hearing. When CJI Gogoi asked them if they had anything to submit, both simply stood with folded hands. The sentencing order was dictated at 11:50 am and the CJI asked Rao and Bhasuran to sit in a corner in the visitors’ gallery.

At around 3:40 pm, the two made an attempt to apologise again. However, the court refused to accept it. “We had sentenced you both till the rising of this court and this court is yet to rise. Go back or else we will sentence you tomorrow too,” the bench said.

Annoyed over Rao transferring Sharma to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as additional director, the top court last week summoned him and Bhasuran to the court. The current CBI director was also asked to submit the file noting on the transferorder.venugopalplaced the documents before the court and explained that the actions were not wilful.

The judges disagreed and said Rao was fully aware of the apex court’s order and initially asked the concerned branches to seek SC’S approval before the transfer. But within hours, he cleared a draft order by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) to transfer Sharma to CRPF, without satisfying himself whether steps had been taken to apprise the top court. The developments, the court noted, took place on a single day, January 18.

“The present is a case where contempt had been committed both by the interim director and the legal advisor,” the CJI dictated in his order, refusing to accept the unconditional apology tendered by the duo.

“Would heavens have fallen if the relieving order [of Sharma] was implemented a day later and SC was taken into confidence?” the CJI asked Venugopal.

The CJI referred to Rao’s note in the file and said it was “obvious he knew there was a SC order because in his first note he acknowledges the SC order. In the second note, on the advice of the legal advisor, he asks the officers to submit an affidavit to the court immediately. But, the third time, when he receives a draft note from DOPT, he approves the relieving order. And all this happens on January 18.”

The court also took strong exception to the fact that Rao never bothered to seek post-facto approval of the transfer. “Should he not have asked why the affidavit was not filed? Why did he not ensure the affidavit was filed or not,” the CJI asked Venugopal. The bench was informed by the petitioner’s lawyer, Fauzia Shakil, that CBI for the first time had disclosed Sharma’s transfer in a status report filed in Muzaffarpur on January 30. “For two weeks he kept quiet and we were informed about it only in the status report. Even his affidavit is an admission of commission of contempt,” CJI said.

Venugopal urged the court to accept the unconditional apology as any punishment would tarnish Rao’s image and his unblemished career of several years. At this, the court told him: “Mr attorney, even if [I] were to accept his affidavit of apology, it would still amount to contempt on his own admission. The career of this officer is already blemished.”

The CJI wrapped up the hearing by saying : “Mr attorney, let us be very clear. I do not think any of us ever had the occasion to invoke a contempt power. But it has to be the first time. Speaking for myself, I believe dignity and majesty of his court should be maintained, and this is blatant.”

Venugopal responded: “The two have thrown themselves to the mercy of this court. To forgive is divine.” possible to recover the additional oil expeditiously,” the committee said in its report. These 66 fields contribute about 95% of India’s total oil (from 35.7 MMT in 2017-18) and gas (32,648 MMSCM) production.

The committee, in its report, has expressed concerns over surging oil and gas consumption, which are resulting in higher energy imports (82.8% of total oil consumption and 45.3% in the case of gas). Total value of imports was ~4,79,377 crore in 2017-18.

“Higher imports are a direct consequence of steady decline in domestic production,” it said.

The report has pointed to two major dampeners for private investments — “poor geology” of Indian sedimentary basins and policy focus on maximising revenue from oil and gas fields.

“The policy and the fiscal regime would have to adequately compensate for relatively inferior oil/gas prospects and the difficult geology. Hitherto instead of compensating for the poor geology, Indian policy has focused on maximising government revenues,” it said.

“It has been highlighted by the oil and gas sector experts in the meeting with the Hon’ble Prime Minister that our existing policy framework, fiscal and approval regimes would have to be made more attractive for both FDI [foreign direct investment] and domestic investments,” it said. A former board member of ONGC said, “This is nothing but asset stripping. Both ONGC and OIL are listed entities and this move will adversely impact the interests of the minority shareholders”.

“Ideally, the government should wait and see the outcome of 69 blocks already privatised before taking this step. Privatisation is not the only solution. Performance of private companies is also not that encouraging. The proposal should not be hurried, especially when the government’s current tenure is about to end,” the direct-level official said requesting anonymity.