Delhi Excise policy case | Arvind Kejriwal moves Delhi High Court against arrest
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on March 23 moved the Delhi High Court challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi Excise policy scam. Sources in his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said his legal team would request the High Court to hear the matter urgently, preferably on March 24 (Sunday). Earlier in the day, AAP leaders claimed that their party office in Delhi was sealed. Delhi Minister Atishi in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said, “How can access to a national party office be stopped during the Lok Sabha election? This against the ‘level playing field’ promised in the Indian Constitution.”
Delhi Excise policy scam | Court extends ED custody of BRS leader K Kavitha
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislature K Kavitha will remain in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate till March 26. Ms. Kavitha is an accused in a money laundering case pertaining to Delhi excise policy scam and was arrested from her house in Hyderabad on March 15. Special Judge (PC) Act Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts granted ED three more days custody of Ms Kavitha.
Putin suggests Ukraine link to Moscow concert hall attack
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 23 that additional security measures have been imposed throughout the country and suggested that Ukraine was linked to the attack on a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow that killed at least 133 people. Mr. Putin said all four people directly involved in the attack had been detained and suggested they were trying to cross the border into Ukraine while escaping. Earlier in the day, 11 people have been detained after the attack, the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service told Mr. Putin on March 23, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Kerala challenges withholding of Presidential assent to State bills in Supreme Court
In an unprecedented move, the Kerala government on March 23 filed an appeal in the Supreme Court as President Droupadi Murmu has withheld assent for four Bills passed by the Kerala Legislature without disclosing any reasons. It has also moved the Court against Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s office for keeping the Bills pending for a long and indefinite period, and later reserving them for the consideration of the President. The State has listed the Secretary to the President, the Kerala Governor and the Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor as respondents in the writ petition filed before the Supreme Court.
India summons German deputy chief of mission to protest comments on Kejriwal’s arrest
India on March 23 summoned the German deputy chief of mission here and lodged a strong protest against the country’s foreign ministry’s remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The German envoy Georg Enzweiler was summoned by officials in the External Affairs Ministry and told that the German Foreign Ministry’s remarks on Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest were an interference in India’s judicial process and any “biased assumptions” were “most unwarranted”, an MEA official said.
Will take affirmative action to ensure safer Indian Ocean Region: Navy chief on anti-piracy ops
Indian Navy will take “affirmative action” to ensure a safer and more secure Indian Ocean Region, its chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar said on March 23 while citing the anti-piracy operations undertaken by the naval force in the last 100 days. In response to a query during a press conference at the newly-built Nausena Bhawan in Delhi, he said “no Indian-flagged vessel” has been targeted by the Houthis at sea.
Mahua Moitra case | CBI conducts searches at multiple locations
The CBI is conducting searches at multiple locations linked to former Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha Member Mahua Moitra in connection with the probe into corruption allegations against her. The move comes days after the Lokpal had directed the agency to carry out further investigation and submit a report on its findings within six months.
Punjab hooch tragedy | Death toll climbs to 20; ECI seeks report from chief secretary, DGP
The death toll due to the suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Punjab’s Sangrur district has climbed to twenty, with six more persons succumbing, officials on March 23 said. The Election Commission of India on Saturday sought an immediate report from the Punjab Chief Secretary and the director general of police in the Sangrur hooch tragedy. In a letter, the Punjab chief electoral officer asked the two senior officials to submit preliminary and detailed reports regarding the incident on Saturday to apprise the Commission, according to an official statement.
In Himachal Pradesh, six former Congress MLAs, three Independents join BJP
Amid political turbulence in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh, the six rebel Congress MLAs — Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma, and Kutlehar MLA Davinder Bhutto — who were disqualified from the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly last month, joined the BJP on March 23. They were joined by the three Independent MLAs — Ashish Sharma, Hoshiyar Singh, and K.L. Thakur — who had also submitted their resignations.
‘Abuse’ of church heats up Meghalaya poll scene
A regional party in Meghalaya has been equated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly abusing the church ahead of the April 19 Lok Sabha election. Churches in Christian-majority Meghalaya are said to play a major role in deciding the fate of the candidates. Most of the believers in the State are Catholic and Presbyterian. The State unit of the Congress accused the Voice of the People Party of disrespecting the church by allegedly saying some church elders distributed liquor to influence voters.
Content creator Elvish gets bail from Gurugram court in assault case
A Gurugram court on March 23 granted bail to Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav in a case of assault against YouTuber Sagar Thakur alias Maxtern, said police. “The court heard the bail application and granted bail in the case. He will have to furnish a bail bond which would be submitted in the court,” said his counsel, Advocate Himanshu Yadav.
Chinese coast guard hits Philippine boat with water cannons in disputed sea, causing injuries
Chinese coast guard ships hit a Philippine supply boat with water cannons on March 23 in the latest confrontation near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing injuries to its navy crew members and heavy damage to the wooden vessel, Philippine officials said. The United States and Japan immediately expressed their support to the Philippines, as well as alarm over Chinese forces’ aggression off the Second Thomas Shoal, which has been the scene of repeated confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels over the past year.
U.N. chief visits Gaza border in new plea for ceasefire
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Egypt’s border with Gaza on Saturday to renew pleas for a ceasefire that could bring relief to a territory devastated by more than five months of war between Israel and Hamas. His trip comes as Israel threatens to launch a major military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, just over the border from Egypt, despite international appeals against such an attack.
Centre extends ban on onion exports till further orders
The Government has extended the export ban on onion till further orders to increase domestic availability and keep its prices under check. Earlier, it was prohibited till March 31 this year. “Export prohibition on export of onions valid till 31st March 2024, is extended until further orders,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade has said in a notification dated March 22.
Srikanth makes first semis in 16 months at Swiss Open
Star shuttler Kidambi Srikanth emerged as the lone Indian survivor at the Swiss Open Super 300 badminton tournament when he progressed to the semifinals with a straight-game win over Chinese Taipei’s Chia Hao Lee in Basel. Playing his eighth tournament this season, Srikanth finally got some momentum as he made his first final-four appearance in 16 months with a 21-10 21-14 win over Lee in 35 minutes on March 23. He last played a semifinal at Hylo Open in November 2022.
