📰 Mention case only before CJI, says Supreme Court
Lawyers told to make oral mention of cases only before bench presided by CJI.
•A day after a Constitution Bench declared that the Chief Justice of India is the master of the roster who alone could decide what case goes to which judge in the Supreme Court, the registry on Saturday published a circular notifying lawyers and litigants not to orally mention fresh cases before any other Supreme Court judge except before the Bench presided by the Chief Justice of India.
•The circular, however, does not provide for a contingency where the CJI is either on leave or is unable to come to court for any other reason.
•The circular issued by the Registry of the Supreme Court on Saturday has, in effect, put a stop to the practice of lawyers or litigants mentioning their cases before Justice J. Chelameswar’s court. He is the number two judge in the Supreme Court.
•The notification asks lawyers and litigants not to orally mention fresh cases before any other Supreme Court judge except before the Bench presided over by the Chief Justice of India.
•Recently, the CJI has been having back-to-back Constitution Bench hearings from Tuesdays to Thursdays. So, all oral mentionings were made before a two-judge Bench led by Justice J. Chelameswar. ‘Mentioning’ of fresh and urgent cases is done by lawyers and litigants for an early listing and, if possible, an out-of-turn hearing.
•The circular is significant as it was an oral mention before Justice Chelameswar’s Bench on November 9 that led to a series of events culminating in an almost impromptu hearing by a five-judge Constitution Bench led by the Chief Justice of India on November 10.
•On November 9, a Thursday, advocate Kamini Jaiswal had made an urgent oral mention of a petition before this two-judge Bench. The petition wanted the investigation into the medical college corruption case to be transferred from the CBI to a SIT supervised by a retired CJI.
•The petition said the FIR alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to bribe Supreme Court judges. The two-judge Bench immediately listed the case for hearing on the same afternoon and ordered a Constitution Bench of the “first five judges in the order of seniority” to be set up on November 13 to hear Ms. Jaiswal's petition. The Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Misra virtually pre-empted the scheduled hearing on November 13 by laying down the law that no two-judge Bench can command the Chief Justice of India to constitute Benches to hear cases in the Supreme Court.
•The Chief Justice of India is the master of the roster and will have complete administrative prerogative over which judge should hear which case in the apex court. The Constitution Bench, in effect, nullified the two-judge Bench's order of November 9.
Fortified role
•Saturday’s circular further fortifies the CJI’s role as the administrative captain of the Supreme Court and his absolute mastery over the roster. It has clearly stated that any oral mentioning should now be made only before the Chief Justice's court at 10.30 a.m.
•Ms. Jaiswal’s petition has been listed for a hearing before a Bench of Justices R.K. Agrawal, Arun Mishra and A.M. Khanwilkar for November 13.
📰 Modi leaves for Philippines to attend ASEAN Summit
Trade between India and ASEAN stood at $ 65.04 billion in 2015-16 and comprises 10.12 per cent of India’s total trade with the world.
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday left for the Philippines, where he will participate in various bilateral and multilateral programmes, including the India-ASEAN Summit.
•On the eve of his departure, the Prime Minister had said that his visit to the Philippines to attend the India-ASEAN Summit symbolises the country’s commitment to deepening ties with the ASEAN member states and the Indo-Pacific region as part of the ‘Act East Policy’.
•Apart from participating in the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summits, in the three-day visit, Mr. Modi would also take part in special celebrations of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Leaders’ Meeting and ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.
•“My participation in them symbolises India’s commitment to continue deepening relationship with ASEAN Member States, in particular, and with the Indo-Pacific region, in general, within the framework of my Government’s Act East Policy,” the prime minister had said in a statement on Saturday.
•Mr. Modi said he looks forward to having a bilateral meeting with PhilippinesPresident Rodrigo Duterte and will also have interactions with other ASEAN and East Asia Summit Leaders.
•He said he was also looking towards connecting with the Indian community in the Philippines.
•The 10-member grouping ASEAN and India comprise a total population of 1.85 billion people which is one-fourth of the global population. The combined GDP has been estimated at over 3.8 trillion dollars.
•Trade between India and ASEAN stood at $ 65.04 billion in 2015-16 and comprises 10.12 per cent of India’s total trade with the world.
📰 RBI remains net buyer of greenback in September, snaps up $1.3 billion
The RBI intervenes in the foreign market to contain volatility in the rupee and not set a price band.
•The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) continued to remain net purchaser of the U.S. currency after it bought $1.259 billion in September from the spot market.
•In the reporting month, the central bank bought $3.788 billion, while it sold $2.529 billion in the spot market, according to the latest RBI data.
•In August too, the central bank was net purchaser of 3.226 billion of the greenback, buying $4.556 billion and selling $1.330 billion in the spot market.
•The RBI intervenes in the foreign market to contain volatility in the rupee and not set a price band.
•Last year in September, the RBI had net purchased $4.649 billion and had sold $4.392 billion, while it bought $9.041 billion from the spot market.
•In FY17, it net purchased 12.351 billion of the U.S. currency as it bought $71.764 billion and sold $59.413 billion in the spot market.
•In financial year 2016, the central bank was again a net buyer to the tune of $10.209 billion.
•In the forward dollar market, the outstanding net purchase at the end of September was $31.131 billion, while the net forward purchase at the end of August was $32.823 billion, the data showed.
📰 The most haunted fort in India
Tales of how Bhangarh fort in Alwar district became a ghost building
•As we drove up to the fort of Bhangarh in Alwar district of Rajasthan, from the Sariska Tiger Reserve, we passed by the Ajabgarh fort. Since entry into Bhangarh is restricted after sunset, we were in a hurry. I didn’t climb up the Ajabgarh fort, but I explored its base. A local lad grazing sheep told me that there was nothing that I would be able to see from below except the four walls. If I had known its significance in the destiny of the fort I was going to, I would have made more of an effort.
•The drive to Bhangarh fort was eerie. We passed through a village that was ostensibly inhabited. The main road was lined with the ruins of once-beautiful havelis. Children were seated in front of intricately carved wooden doors that had large rusted locks.
•The Bhangarh fort was built by the Kachwaha ruler of Amber, Raja Bhagwant Singh, for his younger son Madho Singh in 1573 AD. Madho Singh’s brother was the celebrated Man Singh, who was Akbar’s general. Madho Singh was succeeded by his son Chatr Singh. It was Chatr Singh’s son Ajab Singh who built the fort of Ajabgarh.
•Though it was midday, it seemed quite lonely, and a long walk, so we hired a local guide. Guides after all tell the most colourful tales and sensational gossip!
A tantrik’s curse
•The guide told us of the beautiful princess Ratnavati, who was the daughter of Chatr Singh. She was the jewel of Rajasthan. Ratnavati was much younger than her stepbrother Ajab Singh, and was as universally liked as he was disliked. Tales of her beauty and delightful temperament spread far and wide and she received many marriage proposals. A tantrik priest, who was well versed in black magic, fell in love with her. But knowing that he didn’t stand a chance with the beautiful princess, he tried to cast a spell on her. Seeing the princess’ maid buying perfume for her in the village, he cast a spell on it so that Ratnavati would fall in love with him. Ratnavati came to know of this and threw the bottle. It turned into a boulder and hit the tantrik. He was crushed under its weight, but before he died, he cursed the princess, her family, and the entire village. The next year, a battle was fought between the forces of Bhangarh and Ajabgarh, which led to the death of Ratnavati and most of the army.
•The guide solemnly told us that it was due to this curse that no one in the village or fort could be reborn; it is forever condemned to desolation and is inhabited by ghosts. If any villager tries to build a roof, it apparently mysteriously collapses.
•We were told another story too. Apparently there was a sadhu, Guru Balu Nath, living on top of the hill on which Raja Bhagwant Singh built the fort. His only condition for letting the fort be built there was that it should never cast a shadow on his dwelling. This condition was honoured by all except Ajab Singh, who added columns to the fort that cast a shadow on the ascetic’s house. The angry sadhu’s curse led to the ruin of the fort and the surrounding villages. A small stone hut, known as tantrik ki chatri, overlooks the fort.
•The truth seems to be that after Chatr Singh’s death, since Ajab Singh had already established a new fort, the population of the area dwindled. A famine in 1783 forced the remaining villagers to seek new avenues. In 1720, Raja Jai Singh, grandson of Man Singh, attached Bhangarh to his estate.
•Inside the fort
•By the time we were regaled with these stories, we had walked through a long road lined on both sides with ruins. These were the jauhri bazaars, houses of dancing girls (Nachni ki Haveli), the guide said. There were also some magnificent banyan trees. We entered the impressive gateway to see the fort. Even though the fort was in ruins, it had three grand storeys to be explored. The Someshwara temple at the side, with its beautiful stepwell, was serene. We paid our respects there before climbing up to the fort. The steps and the top of the fort are littered with broken columns, stones, and a forlorn-looking carved niche, which perhaps held Ratnavati’s toilette. The walls inside the temple are intact.
•Entry into Bhangarh is prohibited between sunset and sunrise. It is ranked the most haunted fort in India. However, the local guards denied having ever seen any paranormal activity there.
•I don’t know if the fort is haunted, but it truly deserves the title of hauntingly beautiful.
