NEWS

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh's Suraj Krishna Bhogi has been declared the topper in in JEE (Main) examination with six students getting equal 350 marks, K V Hemant Kumar Chodipilli, also from the same state, stood second and ParthLaturia from Maharashtra's Nanded came third. The results of the JEE (Main) examination this year were different as each of the top six all-India rankers had scored 350 and the CBSE had to apply several tiebreakers to rank them.

Suraj has set his eyes on IIT-Bombay. Speaking to TOI, in between tackling the flood of congratulatory messages coming his way, he said: "I am thrilled. I did not follow any particular pattern to prepare for the examination. On an average, I studied for about nine hours a day. It is my perseverance that has paid off as I never got up from my books till I finished a particular topic." He said he had to cut down on cricket time — his favourite sport — to prepare for the exam.

New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned his wife Nalini Chidambaram in connection with its money laundering probe into the Saradha Ponzi Scam causing fresh trouble for the family of former finance minister P Chidambaram. Officials said Nalini has been summoned at the Kolkata office of the central probe agency on May 7. The agency wants to record her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) with regard to a specific link of her in this case.

The Madras High Court had last week dismissed a petition by Nalini in which she had challenged these ED summons to her to appear as a witness in this case. Justice S M Subramaniam had rejected Nalini's contention that women cannot be called for investigation out of their place of residence under CrPC Section 160 (police officer' s power to require attendance of witnesses), saying such exemptions are not mandatory and are subject to facts and circumstances of a case. Holding that such an exemption was not provided under the PMLA, the judge directed the Enforcement Directorate to issue fresh summons fixing a date for the investigation and proceed with it in accordance with law.

New Delhi: There was high voltage drama at AIIMS on Monday over RJD chief Lalu Prasad was discharged. Lalu’s supporters created a ruckus at the hospital alleging that he was being sent back as part of a conspiracy to kill him. Lalu had been referred to the institute from the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, on March 29 with high blood sugar and infection. Last week, the treating doctors found him fit for discharge.

Sources said the RJD leader, serving jail term in fodder scam cases, had sought time till Monday. However, on Monday, when Lalu was being told to prepare for discharge, he wrote to the AIIMS director that he was still unwell. "I want to apprise you that I suffer from heart disease, kidney infection, sugar and many illnesses. I have back pain and repeated bouts of dizziness. I have even fallen in the bathroom several times,” the RJD president wrote.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court castigated the Centre for repeatedly filing appeals on identical questions of law despite being fined earlier for clogging the justice delivery system with frivolous cases. Ticking off the Centre for snail-paced efforts to streamline its litigation policy, a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta recently used the government's reformist slogan of "ease of doing business" to make a sharp point.

"Under the garb of ease of doing business, judiciary is being asked to reform. The boot is really on the other leg.The couldn't-care-less and insouciant attitude of the Union government with regard to litigation has gone a little too far," the bench ruled. Pointing to the collateral damage the overcrowding of the judicial system caused other litigants, besides financial liabilities of the government, the court asked when the "Rip Van Winkleism" would end.