Supreme Court says huge turnout in Bengal and Tamil Nadu is real sign of democracy India News
New Delhi: After dealing with petitions challenging the special intensive review and deploying judicial officers to conduct an impartial investigation, the Supreme Court on Friday described the record 92 per cent turnout in the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections as a sign of the strong democratic process in the country. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi made the remarks when TMC MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, a vocal opponent of SIR, said, “A good thing happened. A record 92% turnout happened because all the migrant laborers reached the state to cast their votes due to the fear that if they did not do so, their names would be struck off from the voter list.”
People should realize the power of their vote: CJI Kant
Justice Bagchi said, “Another good thing is that there was no violence during the voting except isolated incidents.” CJI Kant said, “As a citizen of India, I am very happy to see the high percentage of voting. People need to participate in voting.”Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also said the forces did a commendable job in preventing violence which resulted in high turnout. Justice Bagchi cited a Bengali proverb to describe earlier violence during state elections and said, “When kings fight, poor people suffer and die”.CJI Surya Kant said, “People should realize the power of their vote in a democracy. More than 92% people went to vote. When a large number of people go to vote, there is no violence. This shows that people realized that their power lies in the democratic system.”SG Mehta said, “92 per cent voting is historic. Barring sporadic violence, the forces have done a commendable job. We should be grateful to them. The state has a history of violence before and after the elections.”The CJI said, “This shows the fairness of the democratic process. There has been heavy voting in Tamil Nadu also.”Justice Bagchi said, “Voting in the democratic process is something that needs to be protected and respected. Otherwise, the basic essence of democracy will be lost.”Turning to senior advocate DS Naidu, representing Election CommissionJustice Bagchi said, “For the change, Naidu’s client has been appreciated by all.” This unexpected praise for the Election Commission angered Banerjee, who disagreed with it and said that the Calcutta High Court has been reprimanding the Election Commission for the last three days. Naidu protested and said that Banerjee was behaving inappropriately and unfairly. “It is Banerjee who is misusing the Election Commission in the courts,” he said.Mehta requested the bench to end the proceedings and warned that the debate would turn into a political discourse by Trinamool. The bench adjourned by asking both Naidu and Banerjee to have lunch together.
Abugharbieh, 26, was taken into custody in Tampa after police responded to a domestic violence call at a residence belonging to him. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, he initially barricaded himself inside the home before surrendering to the SWAT team after a standoff.Authorities say Abugharbih was the roommate of Jamil Limon, one of two students who went missing earlier this month, along with Nahida Bristy, both 27 and originally from Bangladesh. Limon’s remains were later found on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa Bay, while Bristy remains missing.Law enforcement officials said Abugarbih has been charged with preliminary counts including domestic violence, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report death and unlawfully transporting or handling a dead body.Investigators said the case began to unfold when a family friend reported two students missing when they could not be contacted. Limon and Bristy were last seen on April 16 at separate locations near the USF campus.Deputies later focused on Abugharbieh after links to the missing students were discovered. Police said he was not a USF student, but was living with Limon in an apartment off campus.Authorities have not confirmed the motive. He also said the investigation expanded into multiple jurisdictions as detectives searched areas around Tampa and surrounding counties. Law enforcement agencies described the case as complex and ongoing.During the arrest operation, police said they had to activate special units, including SWAT, after Abugharbieh refused initial orders to leave the house. He was eventually taken into custody.The case is still active, with many charges still preliminary and further forensic results expected as authorities continue to piece together what happened in the days following the students’ disappearance.
The students were protesting against a school teacher accused of molestation and later detained.Police said Umar Akbar Hazam, Salman Ahmed Shala, Altaf Ahmed Shaikh, Mubashir Ahmed Gilkar, Muzammil Mushtaq Changa and Majid Firdous Dar were detained under PSA after permission from the district magistrate. He has been put in jail in Doda, Jammu.Police said all are residents of Sopore and none are students. “These miscreants were involved in an attempt to disturb peace during the recent student protests. Their activities have posed a serious threat to public order and safety,” a police statement said. More persons involved in the April 13 trouble are being identified for prosecution under PSA.Warning the public, the police asked them to “refrain from illegal activities and not fall prey to instigations by anti-social elements”.The police did not mention the specific PSA section under which the six people have been booked. The law allows detention without trial for up to six months, with an extension of six months if an accused is a threat to the security of the state. Under the PSA section on threat to public order, preventive detention is allowed for up to three months, with an extension of three months.Earlier, the PSA had allowed detention of up to two years without trial. But in 2011, during the previous tenure of Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah, an amendment reduced the period of detention for threat to state security from two years to six months and for threat to public order from one year to three months.
Tahir Fazal was known for organizing the tribal community against Pakistan trained terrorists to reclaim their native Hill Kaka in their area, which had become a stronghold of terrorists.Fazal, along with his other brother, returned from Saudi Arabia on 26 June 2002, when his brother was killed by terrorists.After receiving arms training, Fazal joined counter-insurgency operations and avenged his brother’s death by eliminating terrorist Abu Qasiw. Soon, he would become a veteran of several “murders”.In 2019, Fazal had written a letter to then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding his community be given a chance to deal with terrorists in Shopian and Anantnag.Paying tribute to a veteran, the Army’s White Knight Corps posted on Twitter, “A brave heart laid to rest – With deep sorrow and immense gratitude, #IndianArmy bids a final farewell to Tahis Fazal, a brave son of the soil, who stood shoulder to shoulder with his own soldiers during Operation Sarpvinash in 2003.”Fazal died on 22 April in Uttarakhand.Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Minister Javed Ahmed Rana has condoled the death of veteran Fazal and described him as an “unsung warrior”.
