Tag Archives: Supreme Court

india, justice, legal, public safety

Supreme Court To Hear TVK Party Plea On Karur Stampede Probe, Seeks Independent Investigation

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New Delhi:

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Friday a plea filed by the actor Vijay’s political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), through its General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna. The plea seeks an impartial investigation into the Karur stampede, calling for a probe conducted by a panel led by a retired top-court judge.

The plea, filed through advocates Dixita Gohil, Pranjal Agarwal, and Yash S Vijay, challenges the Madras High Court’s October 3 order that constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the tragic stampede. The SIT is headed by the Inspector General of Police and comprises senior officers from the Tamil Nadu Police.

TVK’s plea contends that despite the High Court’s clear doubts about the independence of the police probe, the Court still directed that the SIT be formed solely with state police officers. The petition states, “The Petitioner-party as well as its leaders are prejudiced by the order which appoints an SIT composed solely of officers of the State Police, especially in the face of the observations of the Hon’ble High Court expressing its dissatisfaction with the independence of State Police and its conduct, and prejudicial factual findings against the Petitioner.”

The plea further argues that the possibility of a pre-planned conspiracy by certain miscreants to create trouble at the rally site cannot be ruled out. Therefore, an independent investigation where all contesting facts can be examined is necessary.

Additionally, the plea raises concerns over certain strong observations made by the High Court against TVK, which it claims have caused severe prejudice to the party and its office-bearers. It argues that the High Court’s observations and directions were made in violation of the principles of natural justice and fair trial, without conducting any factual inquiry, verifying evidence, or providing TVK or its officials a chance to be heard.

Specifically, the plea challenges the High Court’s observation condemning TVK’s leadership for allegedly “fleeing from the scene of occurrence” and failing to provide assistance to the public. According to the plea, these claims are factually incorrect, misleading, and contradictory to the actual record.

“The contemporaneous sequence of events clearly establishes that, upon receiving information that certain individuals had fainted during the event, the Petitioner’s leadership and Party cadre took immediate and coordinated steps to ensure medical aid and relief were provided without delay,” the plea asserts.

On October 3, the Madras High Court ordered the constitution of the SIT headed by the Inspector General of Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the stampede that claimed 41 lives and left many injured. The Court also banned political rallies, roadshows, and similar public events along state and national highways in Tamil Nadu until Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are formulated.

The High Court strongly criticised TVK party workers for allegedly failing to rescue the public left stranded during the incident and questioned the State government’s lenient approach towards holding the event organisers accountable.

*Note: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the FPJ editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/supreme-court-to-hear-tvk-party-plea-on-karur-stampede-probe-seeks-independent-investigation

government, justice, law, politics, social issues

MP News: ‘Congress’ Hurry May Be Harmful For OBC Category,’ Says CM Mohan Yadav

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**Supreme Court to Hear OBC Reservation Case from October 8**

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the OBC reservation case starting October 8. Originally set for a Wednesday hearing, the date was further extended.

The Congress party has accused the government of not presenting the case properly before the apex court. In response, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav advised the party against rushing the process. He emphasized that any haste could be detrimental to the interests of the OBC community and noted that an all-party meeting had been convened to ensure unity.

“Only unity before the court will be helpful,” Yadav said. He added that the case to restore 13% reservation in held posts was pleaded collectively by all parties. Highlighting the complexity of the matter, Yadav mentioned that over 15,000 documents have been filed in connection with the case. The government has informed the Supreme Court that it should consider the views of all parties whenever it hears the matter.

“Our aim is to benefit each category—SC, ST, and OBC—under the reservation policy,” Yadav stated.

**Government Advocates Accused of Being Unprepared**

Reacting to Chief Minister Yadav’s remarks, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Jitu Patwari said, “If the party does not react, the government will do nothing.”

Patwari recalled that when his government granted 27% reservation to the OBC, the BJP’s proxy team challenged the move in court. He noted that this legal battle has been ongoing for six years.

At a recent meeting, it was decided that government lawyers would first argue to restore 13% of the reserved posts. However, instead of taking this step, the government sought to postpone the hearing by four months, prompting a reprimand from the court, Patwari said.

According to him, the government does not appear willing to grant the OBC quota, which is the root cause of the delay and inaction.

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This case remains a focal point in the state’s politics as stakeholders await a resolution that balances reservation benefits across communities.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/mp-news-congress-hurry-may-be-harmful-for-obc-category-says-cm-mohan-yadav

climate, economy, food, politics, society

Trump administration again asks Supreme Court to lift block on ending TPS for Venezuelans

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Americans’ grocery bills are growing, causing some shoppers to cut back on discretionary spending as they struggle to afford the basics. Food prices grew by half a percent from July to August, marking the fastest monthly rate of change since the fall of 2022.

Behind the rising cost of food items on store shelves are three main culprits, according to experts: tariffs from the Trump administration, climate change, and a shortage of agricultural workers in the U.S.

**The Impact of Tariffs**

Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst known as the “Supermarket Guru,” told CBS News correspondent Jo Ling Kent that the Trump administration’s wide-ranging tariffs are a leading cause of grocery inflation. Price hikes have been steepest on goods that the U.S. imports from nations facing higher levies. For example, the U.S. imports about 35% of its coffee from Brazil, whose exports are taxed at a rate of 50%. The latest Consumer Price Index data shows that coffee prices rose 21% in August compared with a year ago.

As companies face rising costs, they often pass those burdens onto consumers. In the case of tariffs, some businesses began raising prices on products even before the levies were fully in place.

“There’s no question that what we’ve seen is companies increasing prices because of the impending tariffs,” Lempert said. “What they want to do is protect themselves. A lot of these big food companies are public companies, so they have to report back to their shareholders on profit margins. They’ve been hedging their bets.”

Sometimes, packaged-goods companies disguise price hikes by offering consumers less product for the same amount of money. This covert inflation strategy is known as “shrinkflation,” Lempert explained:
“What they’re doing is putting less in the package, hoping that you and I won’t notice and will keep paying the same price or just a slightly increased price.”

**Climate Change’s Role**

Increasing temperatures and shifting weather patterns have made conditions for growing some fruits and vegetables in the U.S. inhospitable. As a result, much of domestic production has moved to Central and Latin America.

“We can’t grow our food where we used to grow it,” Lempert said.

**Labor Shortage in Agriculture**

Additionally, Trump-era immigration policies—including workplace raids targeting large numbers of immigrant workers—combined with waning interest in agricultural labor, have led to an industry-wide shortage.

**How Consumers Are Responding**

Consumers are reacting to higher prices by looking for deals, purchasing store-brand goods instead of name brands, and buying shelf-stable groceries in bulk at shopping clubs like Costco.

Lempert emphasized that a little planning can go a long way to help consumers buy what they need without overspending.

“The number one thing people want to do if they want to save money is stop wasting food,” Lempert said. “Forty percent of all the food in this country is wasted, and a lot of that happens in our homes. So take doggy bags from restaurants, use leftovers, freeze leftovers, and don’t waste food—you’ll save a substantial amount of money.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/supreme-court/3816255/trump-administration-supreme-court-lift-block-end-tps-venezuelans/