The Enforcement Directorate on March 11 said it has seized “unaccounted cash” of ₹1 crore and detected proceeds of crime worth ₹600 crore after it raided RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s family in connection with the railways land for job ‘scam’ linked money laundering case. It said the investigation is underway to unearth more investments made on behalf of Prasad’s family and their associates in various sectors, including real estate, at various places. Meanwhile, the CBI on March 11 summoned Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for recording his statement in connection with the land-for-job case, agencies sources said.
Attacks on Hindu temples have ‘no place in Australia’: PM Albanese
Australia won’t tolerate any extreme actions and attacks that took place in religious buildings, and there is no place for such action against Hindu temples, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said while addressing a press conference in New Delhi, an official statement said on March 11. Responding to a media query about the assurances that the Australian PM gave to his Indian counterpart, Mr. Albanese said, “I gave him the assurance that Australia is a country that respects people’s faith. That we don’t tolerate the sort of extreme actions and attacks that we’ve seen on religious buildings, be they Hindu temples, mosques, synagogues, or churches. This has no place in Australia.”
India, Australia agree for early conclusion of talks to expand trade pact; eye $100-billion trade
India and Australia on March 11 expressed their commitment for concluding the negotiations for expanding the scope of existing free trade agreement by the end of this year with an aim to push the bilateral trade to $100 billion. The issue came up for discussions during the meeting of joint ministerial commission between commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal and his Australian counterpart Don Farrell. Mr. Farrell is accompanying Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who is here on an official visit.
Delhi Excise policy case | BRS leader Kavitha appears before ED
BRS leader K. Kavitha deposed before the ED on March 11, with the agency all set to confront her with an arrested accused and record her statement in connection with its money-laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the Delhi Excise policy. There was a heavy presence of Delhi Police and central paramilitary forces personnel for barricading the ED office even as the supporters of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader staged a protest on APJ Abdul Kalam Road.
Delhi Excise policy case | Accused Pillai says ED forged his statements, forced him to sign them
Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi Excise scam, has moved a city court accusing the ED of forging his statements in the matter. The ED had claimed that he is a close aide of BRS MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha and an alleged frontman of the liquor cartel - “South Group” - that paid kickbacks amounting to about ₹100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party to gain a larger share of the market in the national capital under the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2020-21.
Supreme Court to hear on March 13 pleas seeking legal validation for same-sex marriages
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a batch of pleas seeking legal validation for same-sex marriages on Monday. According to the March 13 cause list uploaded on the apex court’s website, the pleas are listed for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala. The apex court had, on January 6, clubbed and transferred to itself all such petitions pending before different high courts, including the Delhi High Court.
Election Commission comes up with vote-from-home option for voters above 80
The Election Commission on March 11 said it has introduced the facility to vote from home for people above 80 and those with disabilities in the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka. “For the first time, the ECI is going to provide the facility to those above 80 years of age. Our teams will go there with a form-12D to exercise their franchise,” Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. “Though we encourage those above 80 years to come to the polling station, those who cannot can avail this facility,” he added.
Committee to oversee transfer and import of captive wild animals in India: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has increased the jurisdiction and powers of a high-powered committee led by its former judge, Justice Deepak Verma, to conduct necessary checks and undertake fact-finding exercises concerning the import, transfer, procurement, rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals, including those in captivity, across India. The ambit of the committee was earlier restricted to Tripura and Gujarat. Now, the Chief Wildlife Wardens of the States would be co-opted as members of the committee. The panel would look into all pending and future complaints on the issue.
The Ministry was responding to a petition by Thangjam Santa Singh, represented by advocate Anindita Pujari, who sought the striking down of clauses in the Blood Donor Selection Criteria of the Guidelines for Blood Donor Selection and Blood Donor Referral, 2017, which excludes transgender persons, MSM, and female sex workers from being blood donors. The 2017 guidelines permanently defer these population groups from being blood donors on account of being at risk of HIV and Hepatitis infections or Transfusion Transmissible Infections.
Russia doesn’t have monopoly on Soviet ties, Ukraine friend of India too: Ukraine MP Yurash
Russia cannot claim a “monopoly” on the relationships of the Soviet Union, said a Ukrainian Member of Parliament (MP), who hoped India’s position on the war of Ukraine will “evolve” to one that is more supportive of Kyiv. The youngest MP in the Ukrainian parliament, 27-year-old Sviatoslav Yurash, has fought in the Ukraine war himself, and has been nicknamed the “MP with an AK-47”, had earlier visited India in 2015 as a student on an exchange programme at Calcutta (Kolkata) University. He said there are many Ukrainians like him who love India, while many Indian citizens who went to Ukraine to study chose to live on there, even after the Government’s evacuation operations in March 2022. However, Mr. Yurash said that the governments of the two countries “lack engagement” and hence have differences in position on the war.
China denies hidden motives after hosting Iran-Saudi talks
After hosting talks at which Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations, China said on March 11 it has no hidden motives and isn’t trying to fill any “vacuum” in the Middle East. The agreement announced on March 10 to re-establish Iran-Saudi ties and reopen embassies after seven years was seen as a major diplomatic victory for China, as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States as reducing its presence in the Middle East.
Indonesia’s Merapi volcano spews hot clouds in new eruption
Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted on March 11 with avalanches of searing gas clouds and lava, forcing authorities to halt tourism and mining activities on the slopes of the country’s most active volcano. Merapi, on the densely populated island of Java, unleashed clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that travelled up to 7 kms down its slopes. A column of hot clouds rose 100m into the air, said the National Disaster Management Agency’s spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
Net direct tax collection reaches ₹13.73 lakh crore, 83% of revised estimate for FY23
Net direct tax collection so far this fiscal grew 17% to reach ₹13.73 lakh crore, which is 83% of the revised target for the full financial year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said on March 11. The growth in direct tax mop-up, which comprises personal income tax and corporate taxes, was driven by PIT collections. On a gross basis, the collection grew 22.58% to ₹16.68 lakh crore.
AUS vs IND 4th Test, Day 3 | Shubman Gill strikes century as India reach 188/2 at tea
India opener Shubman Gill struck a sublime hundred as India reached 188 for two in their first innings at tea on day three of the fourth Test against Australia on March 11. The hosts still trail the Steve Smith-led side by 292 runs. Gill (103 batting) and Cheteshwar Pujara (42) stitched a 113-run partnership, before the latter was trapped leg-before by spinner Todd Murphy. Australia had made 480 in their first innings. Rohit Sharma was earlier dismissed for 35 off the last ball of the 21st over, ending a 74-run partnership between Gill and the India captain.
