The Supreme Court on July 31 said the “systemic” and “unprecedented magnitude” of sexual violence committed against women in Manipur amidst ethnic clashes cannot be excused on the ground that crimes happened to women in other parts of the country too. “You cannot excuse what is taking place in Manipur now on the ground that such crimes are happening to several other women as well in other parts of the country,” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, heading a three-judge Bench, observed. The Bench was dealing with an application that there were women in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Kerala, all of which happened to be non-BJP ruled States, who were victims of crimes and still waiting for justice.
India’s key infra sector growth rises to 5-month high of 8.2% in June
India’s core sectors’ output surged at a five-month high pace of 8.2% in June, as per data from the Commerce and Industry Ministry, led by a 21.9% spike in steel output and nearly double-digit rise in coal and cement production. Infrastructure output, which comprises eight sectors, including coal and electricity, accounts for nearly 40% of industrial output. The core sector growth was 13.1 per cent in June 2022, the Commerce Ministry data showed.
Manipur sexual assault survivors object to case being transferred to CBI
The Supreme Court on July 31 was met with silence from the Centre and Manipur government about the number of FIRs registered on crimes against women in the State from May till date during ethnic clashes. While hearing the case of two women who were on video sexually assaulted and paraded by a mob in Manipur, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud noted that the May 4 incident was not an isolated one. “This is apparent from the Home Secretary’s affidavit. As much as we want to give justice to the two women, we want to put in a mechanism where justice is available to all other women. We have to put in a mechanism to ensure complaints are filed, FIRs are lodged.” Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for the two women victims objected to Centre’s move of transfering the case to CBI. The women had also objected to the government’s request to transfer the case to Assam.
Parliament Monsoon Session updates | Lok Sabha clears Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023
The logjam in Parliament over the Manipur issue continued on July 31 as well, between the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc and the BJP-led government. In the Rajya Sabha, leader of the House Piyush Goyal said that the government is ready for a short-duration discussion under Rule 176 on Manipur, and Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar endorsed the proposal. The Opposition, however, insisted on a debate under Rule 267 and reiterated its demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement before a discussion. Lok Sabha too was adjourned within minutes of commencement in the morning amid heavy sloganeering related to Manipur violence. The Lower House briefly debated The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023 before it was passed without any Opposition.
The Supreme Court on July 31 declined to intervene in a Karnataka High Court’s interim stay of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in a corruption case. A Bench led by Justice B.R. Gavai said that the order under challenge was an interim one. The Bench requested the High Court to expeditiously hear and decide the case in its merits.
IMD predicts normal monsoon in August-September
India is most likely to see normal rainfall during the second half of the monsoon season (August and September) following excess precipitation in July, the IMD said on July 31. It said normal to above normal rainfall is very likely over east-central India, parts of the east and northeast region and most subdivisions along the Himalayas. Below normal rainfall is predicted in most parts of peninsular India and western parts of northwest and central India, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said at a press conference here.
MCD house adjourned over clash between BJP, AAP councillors
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s House erupted in clashes between BJP and AAP councillors over the Yamuna River flooding in the national capital. The protests started within ten minutes of the House session starting. Leader of House Mukesh Goel had brought up the widespread violence which led to the death of several people in Manipur when BJP councillors started protesting over the excessive floods in Delhi in the past few weeks. BJP councillors reached the well with anti-Kejriwal posters/banners within 10 minutes of the start of the House session. AAP councillors were seen objecting to this, MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi adjourned the House once for 15 minutes at that point.
All seven opposition members of the Goa Legislative Assembly were suspended for two days on July 31 after they protested and created a ruckus on the floor of the House over Manipur violence. Speaking to reporters later, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar called the behaviour of the opposition bench condemnable. The suspended members are Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Congress MLAs Altone D’Costa and Carlos Ferreira, AAP’s Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva, Goa Forward Party’s Vijai Sardesai, and Viresh Borkar of Revolutionary Goans Party.
No one from my family is contesting WFI elections: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
Outgoing Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on July 31 said no member of his family will contest the upcoming elections of the national sports body but reiterated that his group has the support of 22 State associations. Brij Bhushan visited the Indian Olympic Association office on the last day of nomination for WFI elections on July 31.
Money laundering case: ED seizes cars, jewellery and cash after raids on Congress’ Haryana MLA
Four luxury cars, jewellery worth 14.5 lakh and 4.5 lakh in cash have been seized after raids were conducted against the Congress’ Haryana MLA Dharam Singh Chokker and companies “owned and controlled” by him as part of a money laundering case linked to alleged fraud with homebuyers, the ED said on July 31. The action under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act came after the ED launched searches against the Samalkha (Panipat) MLA and others on July 25, it said in a statement.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has said his government will study the possibility of a system making parental approval mandatory in love marriages if it is constitutionally feasible. He said this in response to a demand by certain sections of the Patidar community that parental consent be made mandatory in love marriages.
ISIS behind suicide blast at JUI-F political convention that killed 44 in Pakistan: Police
Police in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said on July 31 that an initial probe has suggested that the banned terrorist group ISIS is behind the suicide attack on a political convention of a hardline Islamist party that killed at least 44 people and injured more than 100. The attack took place on July 30 when more than 400 members of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, known for its links to hardline political Islam, had gathered for a meeting under a canopy in the town of Khar, which borders Afghanistan.
Russian missiles strike an apartment building, killing at least 4 in Ukrainian leader’s hometown
Russian missiles slammed into an apartment complex and a university building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing four people and wounding dozens of others on July 31 as the blasts trapped residents beneath rubble, Ukraine’s Interior Minister said. One of the two missiles destroyed a section of the apartment building between the fourth and ninth floors, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Video showed black smoke billowing from corner units and burned out or damaged cars on a tree-lined street. A 10-year-old child was among those killed, Klymenko said. Serhii Kruk, head of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, said 44 people were wounded in the morning attack, which also destroyed part of the four-storey university building.
Raging storm washes away cars; swathes of northern China on red alert
Swathes of northern China were under red alert on July 31 as heavy rains battered Beijing and surrounding areas, washing away cars and inundating subway stations. Deadly storm Doksuri has been sweeping northwards over China since Friday, with authorities warning millions of people to stay home. Hundreds of bus services in the capital were suspended, according to state news agency Xinhua, while the city government issued the highest flood warning for the suburban Dashihe River.
Four crew members on Australian army helicopter that crashed off coast didn’t survive: Officials
“The Australian army helicopter that crashed on July 28 during a multinational exercise hit the water with a “catastrophic impact” and there is no chance its four crew members survived,” officials said on July 31. Australia’s fleet of more than 40 of the MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, made by French Airbus, has been grounded since the crash and there are doubts any will fly again.
WI vs Ind, 3rd ODI | India hope their experiments work in series decider
India will be hoping the experiment of trying out Sanju Samson and Surykumar Yadav in the middle-order works when they take on the West Indies in the ODI series decider on Tuesday (August 1). India, who have not lost an ODI series to West Indies since 2006, face a rare series defeat after their move to rest skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli backfired in the second game in Barbados.
Published - July 31, 2023 07:24 pm IST
