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Saturday, 25 May 2013

बालिग की सहमति से सेक्स पर रेप केस नहीं, बशर्ते...: सुप्रीम कोर्ट

बालिग की सहमति से सेक्स पर रेप केस नहीं, बशर्ते...: सुप्रीम कोर्ट

नई दिल्ली।। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने कहा है कि बालिग गर्लफ्रेंड की सहमति से यौन संबंध स्थापित करने वाले व्यक्ति पर रेप के आरोप में मुकदमा नहीं चलाया जा सकता, बशर्ते उसकी अपने पार्टनर से शादी करने की मंशा हो।

न्यायमूर्ति बी एस चौहान और न्यायमूर्ति दीपक मिश्रा की खंडपीठ ने कहा कि यदि लड़की प्यार में यौन संबंध स्थापित करती है, लेकिन किन्हीं कारण से उनका विवाह नहीं हो सका तो ऐसा व्यक्ति रेप का आरोपी नहीं हो सकता। न्यायाधीशों ने कहा, 'अदालत को इस तथ्य की पड़ताल करनी चाहिए कि क्या आरोपी ने शुरू में विवाह का झूठा वायदा किया था और क्या यौन संबंध के स्वरूप और परिणाम को पूरी तरह समझते हुए इसकी सहमति दी गई थी।'

सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने कहा, 'ऐसा भी हो सकता है कि पीड़ित आरोपी के प्रति अपने प्रेम और लगाव के कारण सेक्स के लिए तैयार हो गई हो और आरोपी द्वारा गलत तस्वीर पेश करने के कारण ऐसा नहीं हुआ हो। विवाह करने की मंशा रखने के बावजूद आरोपी अगर अपरिहार्य कारणों या परिस्थितियों की वजह से विवाह करने में असमर्थ रहा हो, तो ऐसे मामलों पर अलग दृष्टिकोण अपनाने की आवश्यकता है।'


http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/india/national-india/man-cannot-be-prosecuted-for-rape-for-consensual-sex-with-major-woman-sc/articleshow/20155436.cms 

पांच लाख के लिए मिल रही थी धमकी, इतना परेशान हो गया कि खा लिया जहर

पांच लाख के लिए मिल रही थी धमकी, इतना परेशान हो गया कि खा लिया जहर 


उदयपुर। नाई थाना क्षेत्र के छोटा हवाला गांव में गुरुवार को एक ग्रामीण ने जहर खा लिया। वह एक अन्य ग्रामीण की धमकियों से परेशान था, जो उसे दहेज प्रताड़ना के मामले में फंसाने के नाम पर पांच लाख रुपए मांग रहा था।
घटना क्रम के अनुसार छोटा हवाला निवासी चंदन सिंह गमेती (48) ने शाम चार बजे के आसपास जहर खा लिया।
 
 
परिजन उसे नाई के सामुदायिक स्वास्थ्य केंद्र ले गए। हालत बिगड़ने पर डॉक्टर ने एमबी हॉस्पिटल भिजवा दिया। रात साढ़े 11 बजे उसे यहां लाया गया। चिकित्सकों ने उसकी हालत गंभीर बताई है। चंदन सिंह के बयान के आधार पर पुलिस ने गांव के ही शंकर सिंह गमेती के खिलाफ मामला दर्ज किया है।
 
 
यह थी तनाव की जड़
चंदन सिंह के मुताबिक उसके बेटे विक्रम सिंह और बहू के बीच विवाद हो गया था। जाति पंचों के बीच मामला पहुंचा और उनके फैसले से दोनों अलग हो गए। पंचों ने वधू पक्ष को तीन लाख 81 हजार रुपए देना भी तय किया था। गांव वालों की मौजूदगी में यह रकम लड़की वालों को दे दी गई, लेकिन कुछ दिन बाद खुद को मौतबिर बताने वाले शंकर सिंह पुत्र लाल सिंह गमेती ने समझौता करवाने के नाम पर पांच लाख रुपए की मांग शुरू कर दी। रुपए नहीं देने पर वह दहेज प्रताड़ना के मामले में फंसाने की धमकियां दे रहा था।
 

Anyone can record a dying declaration, Supreme Court rules


Anyone can record a dying declaration, Supreme Court rules

NEW DELHI: You need not be a police officer, doctor or a magistrate to record the dying declaration, a statement accusing those responsible for the death of the person making his last possible statement.

The Supreme Court has found this to be true in law, at least in cases where the person dies of burn injuries. "The law on the issue can be summarized to the effect that law does not provide who can record a dying declaration, nor is there any prescribed form, format or procedure for the same," said a bench of Justices B S Chauhan and Dipak Misra while reversing the high court ordered acquittal in a dowry death case.

While indicating that any member of public could record the statement of a dying person, the bench said the only caveat was that the person recording the dying declaration must be sure that the one making the statement was in a proper mental condition to do so.

"The person who records a dying declaration must be satisfied that the maker is in a fair state of mind and is capable of making such a statement," said Justice Chauhan, who authored the judgment on behalf of the bench.

But, how does a lay man understand that a dying man is in a proper frame of mind to make the statement? The court left it to the discretion of the individual recording the statement and said a doctor's certificate about the dying man's mental condition was not necessary to make the dying declaration acceptable as evidence.

"Moreover, the requirement of a certificate provided by a doctor in respect of such state of the deceased, is not essential in every case," the bench said.

In the case at hand, a Damoh trial court had convicted one Dal Singh and his wife for setting ablaze their daughter-in-law, who had been subjected to cruelty in the matrimonial home. However, finding that she had suffered 100% burn injuries, the Madhya Pradesh High Court acquitted the accused doubting the veracity of the woman's dying declaration.

MP's standing counsel Vibha Datta Makhija argued that the HC was not justified in doubting the dying declaration as there were sufficient evidence on record to show that the daughter-in-law was ill-treated by her parents-in-law and were responsible for her death.

"A person having 100% burns can make a statement, and a certificate provided by a doctor is not a condition precedent for placing reliance upon a dying declaration," she said and argued for reversal of the acquittal.
 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Anyone-can-record-a-dying-declaration-Supreme-Court-rules/articleshow/20237310.cms 




Denying accused right to summon witness will derail fair trial, says Supreme Court

Denying accused right to summon witness will derail fair trial, says Supreme Court 

The trial court cannot deny an accused the right to summon witnesses he/she has cited for examination at any stage of trial, the Supreme Court has held.
“Fair trial entails the interests of the accused, the victim and of society, and therefore, includes the grant of fair and proper opportunities to the person concerned, and the same must be ensured as this is a constitutional as well as human right, said a Bench of Justices B.S. Chauhan and Ibrahim Kalifulla
Adducing evidence in support of defence was a valuable right. Denial of such right would amount to denial of a fair trial. It was a cardinal rule of the law of evidence that the best available evidence must be brought before the court to prove a fact or a point in issue, the Bench said.
The Cr.PC conferred a very wide discretionary power on the court in this respect. It might summon any person as a witness at any stage of the trial or other proceedings, even suo motu if no application was filed by either of the parties.

Cardinal caution

“However, the court must satisfy itself that it is in fact essential to examine such a witness or recall him for further examination in order to arrive at a just decision of the case. An application [filed by an accused to summon witnesses] under Section 311 Cr.PC must not be allowed only to fill a lacuna in the case of the prosecution, or of defence, or to the disadvantage of the accused, or to cause serious prejudice to the defence of the accused, or to give an unfair advantage to the opposite party. Further, the additional evidence must not be received as a disguise for retrial, or to change the nature of the case against either of the parties,” Justice Chauhan said, writing the judgment.
In the instant case, Natasha Singh was aggrieved over a trial court order rejecting her application, under Section 311 Cr.PC, to summon certain witnesses. It observed that examination of the witnesses sought to be examined by the appellant-accused was in fact unnecessary, and would in no way assist in arriving at a just decision of the case.
The Delhi High Court upheld the trial court order. The Supreme Court, allowing the appeal against this judgment, directed the trial court to examine the witnesses sought to be examined by Natasha. 

प्रेम प्रसंग में बाधा बन रही सास को बहू ने उतारा मौत के घाट

प्रेम प्रसंग में बाधा बन रही सास को बहू ने उतारा मौत के घाट

चंदौली| उत्तर प्रदेश के नक्शल प्रभावित जिले चंदौली के चकिया कोतवाली के ताला गाँव में एक कलयुगी बहु ने अपने प्रेम प्रसंग में बाधा बन रही अपनी सास को अपने पिता व उसके रिश्तेदार के सहयोग से बड़ी ही बेरहमी से मौत के घाट उतार दिया। मृतका की चीख सुनकर आसपास के लोग मृतका के घर की दौड़े। आरोपी दोनों लोग घर में रखे भूसे के ढेर में जा छुपे। रात भर ग्रामीणों ने घर को घेरे रखा और सूचना पर पहुची पुलिस के आने के बाद ही वहां से हटे। पुलिस ने घर में छुपे मृतका के समधी, उसके रिश्तेदार और मृतका के बहु को गिरफ्तार कर लिया और ह्त्या में प्रयुक्त हथियार को भी बरामद कर लिया है । पुलिस का कहना है कि हत्या के पीछे प्रेम प्रसंग प्रमुख कारण है ।

दरअसल मृतका अशर्फी देवी के बड़ी बहु नीतू का प्रेम प्रसंग उसके छोटे बेटे गुड्डू के साथ चल रहा था । मृतका के बड़े बेटे की लगभग चार साल पहले सांप के काटने से मौत हो गयी थी। तब तक छोटे बेटे गुड्डू का गवना नहीं हुआ था। इसी दौरान दोनों एक दुसरे के प्रेम में बध गए। छोटे बेटे गुड्डू की रावर्त्सगंज में शादी हो गयी । गुड्डू की पत्नी को उसकी जेठानी और अपने पति का मेल जोल अच्छा नहीं लगता था । दोनों के प्रेम प्रसंग से तंग आ कर गुड्डू की पत्नी मायके चली गयी और रावर्त्सगंज थाने में दहेज़ उत्पीडन का मुकदमा दर्ज करा दिया। जिसमे पुरे परिवार को जेल जाना पड़ा और ज़मानत पर रिहा हुए| इतना सब कुछ होने के बाद भी दोनों का प्रेम प्रसंग जारी रहा। इसी बीच मृतका की बड़ी बहु नीतू ने अपनी सास को रास्ते से हटाने की योजना अपने पिता के साथ मिलकर बना डाली। प्लान तैयार किया गया की आधी रात में अशर्फी देवी की ह्त्या कर दी जायेगी और इल्जाम अपने मायके में रह रही छोटी बहु पर लगा दिया जाएगा। पर दुर्भाग्य येसा नहीं हो सका । आधी रात में अपने घर के बाहर सोयी अशर्फी देवी को बहु ने पहले घर के अन्दर बुलाया और पहले से ही घर में मौजूद बड़ी बहु नीतू के पिता और उसके पिता के रिश्तेदार ने घर में ही रखे मूसल और कुल्हाड़ी से वार कर अशर्फी देवी की हत्या कर दी।

इस दौरान अशर्फी देवी अपने पर हमला हुआ देख चीखने लगी। उसकी चीख जब पड़ोसियों ने सुनी तो तुरंत उसकी घर की ओर भागे। अपने को घिरता देख मृतका के समधी व उसका रिश्तेदार घर के ऊपर के कमरे में रखे भूसे के ढेर में जा छुपे। आक्रोशित ग्रामीण रात भर घर को घेरे रहे। ग्रामीणों की सूचना पर पहुची पुलिस ने भूसे के ढेर में छुपे मृतका के समधी, उसके रिश्तेदार व बड़ी बहु नीतू को गिरफ्तार कर लिया है।


http://hindi.pardaphash.com/news/--731371/731371.html

India Inc trying to get proactive in handling sexual harassment cases

India Inc trying to get proactive in handling sexual harassment cases

MUMBAI/BANGALORE/NEW DELHI: For 100,000 employees in the group, ICICI gets 60-odd sexual harassment complaints in a year. Of this, 30-40% are found to be true. India's second-largest bank by assets does not insist on absolute proof when it comes to allegations of sexual harassment. In case of circumstantial evidence, the person is asked to resign. If there is stronger proof, the person is sacked.

ICICI is among a few companies that are pre-emptive in dealing with a problem that is real and exists across corporate India. Most Indian companies have an ostrich-like approach to the problem and would rather not talk about the problem.

Even those that are relatively proactive, admit instances of sexual harassment and office relationships are a minefield of sorts, especially those of the boss-subordinate variety as in the Phaneesh Murthy case.

"A boss-reportee relationship is taboo and a relationship between peers is fine as long as it does not impact office work. Extra-marital relationships on the other hand are not kosher anywhere in the world," says TV Mohandas Pai, chairman of Manipal Global Education and a former board member of InfosysBSE -0.51 %. "There should be zero tolerance for undue advantage taken in a boss-reportee relationship or sexual harassment of any kind," he says.

"When you are in an organisation where you are responsible for people, it is a custodial position. Consequently, senior leadership has to see their jobs as custodians," says K Ramkumar, executive director, ICICI BankBSE 2.60 %. "It's a breach of trust when there is a case like this (referring to all such cases), not just to the people, but to the institution you are working for."

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/india-inc-trying-to-get-proactive-in-handling-sexual-harassment-cases/articleshow/20183513.cms

Man sets son-in-law on fire

Man sets son-in-law on fire

FATEHABAD: A man killed his son-in-law by setting him on fire in Bhattu Kalan of Fatehabad district on Tuesday night. While the victim Sunil Kumar, 26, died on the spot, his father and brother, who were also attacked, have been hospitalized. Police officers said that there was a dispute between Jagdish Kumar, the accused, and Sunil Kumar over the latter not treating his wife properly. The victim was a labourer by profession and a resident of Bhattu Kalan.

According to the police complaint, victim's father Mahender Singh said, "My son got married on April 9, 2011, and just after the marriage, the couple had problems in their relationship. The girl returned to her house and her father Jagdish Kumar reached our house with two men. They began to argue with my son, poured oil on him and set him on fire." When contacted, DSP city Naripjit Singh said that a case has been registered under Section 302 (murder) of IPC, and teams have been constituted to nab the accused. 
 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Man-sets-son-in-law-on-fire/articleshow/19827897.cms 

NCPCR hauls up Haryana in school sex abuse case


NCPCR hauls up Haryana in school sex abuse case

 GURGAON:The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights ( NCPCR) has issued notices to the Haryana Police and the state education department after two women employees of a prominent Gurgaon school were arrested for sexually abusing a Class III student for past one year.

Setting a timeframe of seven days to file replies, letters were issued to Haryana director general of police and director-cum-special secretary of directorate of secondary education on May 23. The commission has recommended the police to book the accused under relevant sections of the Protection of (II) Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012. The DGP has been asked to ensure that the minor girl gets medical care, treatment and counselling. It has also been recommended that the girl and her family get assistance from Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for care, protection and rehabilitation.

The police have been asked to provide adequate security and protection to the victim and family members and ensure that she is not intimated by the accused directly or indirectly. Moreover, police have been asked to see that victim gets legal aid as well as compensation under the victim compensation scheme through District Legal Aid Service Authority. The chief of directorate of secondary education has been asked to provide the details of actions taken in the matter against the principal and teachers of the school. Besides that it has also been asked to provide the measures taken so far to stop such incidents of abuse from happening in the future in schools. The education department would have to provide details on directives issued to schools in this regard as well as on surveillance system put in place in schools. 
 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/NCPCR-hauls-up-Haryana-in-school-sex-abuse-case/articleshow/20256046.cms 
 

Backtrack on mutual divorce, face contempt proceedings: HC

Backtrack on mutual divorce, face contempt proceedings: HC

NEW DELHI: Couples who mutually consent in court to get a divorce but later have second thoughts can be hauled up for contempt of court, the Delhi high court has ruled.
Justice G S Sitani recently held one Gaurav guilty of contempt of court because he backtracked from his assurance given in court that he agreed to a compromise with his wife. It was on this assurance that the wife withdrew criminal proceedings against Gaurav, only to learn that her husband now wanted restitution of the marriage instead of divorce.

HC took a strong view of this somersault by Gaurav and said it seemed to be a ploy to get bail and quash the case lodged against him. Convicting Gaurav of contempt, the judge had even given the date for announcing punishment in February this year but discharged Gaurav after he agreed to abide by the divorce settlement and apologized profusely for his retraction.
The couple got married in 2006 but within a year the wife lodged a case of dowry harassment against Gaurav and his parents in the local police station. This led the accused to seek anticipatory bail from HC. Even as the bail plea was pending, the couple reached a settlement which was recorded by the court in its order in 2007. According to the settlement, the husband agreed to pay Rs 8 lakh towards full and final satisfaction of her claims and also agreed to divorce by mutual consent in response of which the wife agreed to withdraw the criminal case against her husband and in-laws.
However, soon after securing bail, Gaurav petitioned the court saying his matrimonial dispute be shifted to the mediation and conciliation centre and baulked from his earlier pledge that he will ensure a smooth mutual divorce.
This is what led the wife to seek contempt of court proceedings in HC.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-03/delhi/28650110_1_mutual-divorce-gaurav-face-contempt-proceedings