SATURDAY WATER STORAGE IN KEY RESERVOIRS AT JUST 38% AHEAD OF SUMMER 23 MARCH, 2024 The live storage in India’s 150 primary reservoirs stands at 38% of their total capacity, according to data from the Central Water Commission P7 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard The total live storage capacity of the 150 reservoirs is 178.7 billion cubic metres (BCM). The live storage these reservoirs is 67.5 BCM, about 16% less than the level observed during the corresponding period last year. In the 42 reservoirs of the southern region, total live storage stands at just 23% of the designed capacity or 42% less than last year’s level GAZA RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UNSC BID ON TRUCE PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS ED CLAIMS CM IS FINAL AUTHORITY OF AAP Day after arrest, Kejriwal sent to 6-day ED custody S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the Congress plea challenging the tax reassessment proceedings initiated against it by the Income Tax Department. The HC said that the party had challenged the assessment proceedings—due to be completed by March 31—at a late stage and the tax authority has collated “substantial and concrete” evidence warranting further scrutiny and examination. “The writ petitioner has thus chosen to approach this court only a few days before the time for completion of assessment would expire and at the proverbial fag end of the proceedings. We consequently find no justification to interdict the assessment proceedings at this belated stage,” the HC said. The Congress had challenged the initiation of proceedings by the I-T department for assessment pertaining to assessment years 201415 to 2016-17. The party said that tax reassessment proceedings are barred by limitation. NEW DELHI THE Delhi High Court on Friday admitted the appeal filed by the CBI six years ago against the acquittal of all the 17 accused in the 2G spectrum allocation case, including former telecom minister Andimuthu Raja, DMK leader K Kanimozhi, and 15 other politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen, including Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra. Granting the CBI ‘leave to appeal’ (permission to appeal), Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said the “contra- PAGES 12 PART OF FRAMING AND IMPLEMENTING EXCISE POLICY SENIOR APP LEADERS DETAINED DURING PROTEST CM ‘intrinsically involved’ in liquor policy case: ED U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi Day after his arrest by ED, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal being produced before Rouse Avenue Court on Friday | PTI ‘My life is dedicated to nation, whether in or outside prison’ A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi IN his first reaction after his arrest, Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that his life is dedicated to the nation; whether inside or outside the jail. Kejriwal’s wife Sunita attacked Central agencies on ‘X.’ “This is a betrayal of the people of Delhi. Your Chief Minister has always stood with you. Whether inside or outside, his life is dedi- Delhi cabinet minister Atishi with AAP workers being detained cated to the country. The public knows every- during a protest at the ITO crossing on Friday | PARVEEN NEGI thing,” she said. The AAP attacked the Centre and the probe agency for arresting Kejriwal. The party leaders said people are witnessing how the government is disregarding the fundamental values. They said on the one hand, ED has arrested Kejriwal and on the other, his family members were not allowed to meet anyone and are being mentally harassed. “Arrests have been made in politics before, even during the British era, but even then, attention was paid to humanitarian values. However, the BJP-led government is not considering even those values,” said an AAP leader. He mentioned that Kejriwal’s parents are over 80 years old and can’t walk without support. “CM’s parents and his children should be allowed to meet their relatives and party members so that they can provide reassurance,” the AAP said. Alliance talks with BJD fail, BJP to go it alone in Odisha B I J O Y P R A D H A N @ Bhubaneswar DRAWING the curtains on the alliance talks with the BJD in Odisha, state BJP chief Manmohan Samal on Friday said his party would contest the upcoming simultaneous elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha alone. Samal, who has not been seen to be too inclined to the alliance, said that his party would fight from all the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Odisha. “The BJP will fight alone under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi to fulfill the hopes, wishes and aspirations of 4.5 crore people of Odisha,” Samal said. The state BJP chief made this announcement on ‘X’ clarifying that it would not be possible for the BJP to align with the BJD government on many issues, involving Odia identity and Odisha pride. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also reposted the tweet of Samal as the party sent out the message that it is finally ready to take the fight to the BJD camp. While thanking CM Naveen Patnaik for extending support to the NDA government at the Centre on issues of national importance in the last 10 years, Samal, however, pointed out that welfare schemes of the Modi government were not reaching the ground in Odisha. “Many welfare schemes of Modi government are not reaching the ground in Odisha due to which the poor sisters and brothers of the state are not getting their benefits. We do not agree with the state government on many issues,” he said. Explaining the need for going alone, Samal said that states where there are double-engine governments are making rapid progress on all fronts and have effectively delivered all welfare schemes at the doorsteps of the people. BJP workers celebrated the announcement by bursting crackers and distributing sweets at the state party headquarters here. 2G scam: HC admits CBI plea against clean chit to Raja S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi J8.00 VOICES AMID massive protests by AAP, arrested CM Arvind Kejriwal got no relief from a Delhi court on Friday as it remanded him for six days in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody till March 28 in the Delhi excise policy scam. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are under judicial custody in the same case and He got arrested Satyendar Jain is also in judicial custody in a due to his deeds... separate money-laundering case. “The accused, Arvind Kejriwal, be remanded I had asked him to stay away from in six-day ED custody, till March 28,” Special this (excise policy) Judge PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering issue. He didn’t Act) Kaveri Baweja, said in her order. Kejriwal was produced in the Rouse Avenue court around Anna Hazare, activist 2 pm amid heavy security. The ED sought his custody for 10 days, claiming he No bar had to be interrogated in a “detailed and sustained manner” in Kejriwal can the excise case. continue as Outside the court, cabinet minCM with legal experts saying isters Atishi and Saurabh there is no bar Bharadwaj were detained as Where is under the law AAP leaders staged a protest democracy in this against the BJP over the arrest which stops country? In of Kejriwal. The two ministers Russia, (Vladimir) an arrested were taken away in police buses person from Putin got 88 per as officials asked protesters at cent votes. They holding post the ITO intersection, which is (BJP) are near the AAP and BJP offices, to disperse in following Putin’s path view of the prohibitory orders. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal withdrew a plea Bhagwant Mann, AAP from the Supreme Court he had filed the previous day, challenging his arrest. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, said that he was withdrawing his plea from the SC and would argue the case in the lower court. As for the ED, it alleged in the Rouse Avenue court that Kejriwal is the kingpin of the Delhi liquor scam. “The CM demands kickbacks from South Group. It is a serious crime,” Additional I vehemently Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju said. The probe condemn the agency said huge cash amounts were given to arrest. It’s outrageous that various people. The proceeds of crime were elected opposition used in the Goa polls, he added. CMs are being Singhvi said the power of arrest was not equal deliberately to the need to arrest. “If the ED has proof, then targeted why custody? The ED has to show the necessity of his arrest. Why did you need custodial interMamata Banerjee, MORE REPORTS ON P3 rogation?” he questioned. TMC HC junks Cong plea against tax reassessment BILLION CUBIC METRES IS THE NATION’S TOTAL LIVE STORAGE CAPACITY SHORTAGE MORE SEVERE IN THE SOUTH X.com/TheMornStandard Moscow accused Washington of a ‘hypocritical spectacle’ that does not pressure Israel 257.8 dictions” in the trial court’s verdict require a “deeper examination”. “The court on the basis of material on record, and after going through the sworn testimonies, material on record, impugned judgment and the submissions made at bar by both the parties has reached on an objective satisfaction that there is a prima facie case which requires deeper examination and re-appreciation/reappraisal of entire evidence,” Justice Sharma said in the order. On December 21, 2017, special CBI judge O P Saini had acquitted all the accused saying the prosecution failed to produce “legally admissible evidence”. The CBI approached the HC on March 20, 2018 challenging the judgment. The HC’s order on the CBI’s plea was reserved on March 14, 2024, six years and 125 listings after it was first heard. The matter was heard by seven different judges before it came to Justice Sharma. The CBI said there were “glaring illegalities” in the trial court order acquitting all the accused in the case. The appeal will now be heard in detail on May 20. THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday told court that Arvind Kejriwal was intrinsically involved in the conspiracy of the excise policy case. The policy was allegedly implemented to favour private persons in a quid pro quo involving kickbacks. The ED said the proceeds of the crime amounting to `45 crore were used in the AAP poll campaign in Goa. On Kejriwal’s role, the ED charged that he was directly involved in the formulation of the now-scrapped policy 2021-22. “The policy was being drafted considering the favours to be granted to the South Group. It was formed in collusion with Vijay Nair, Manish Sisodia and representatives of the South Group,” the ED said in its remand application. Kejriwal’s role was evident, ED said, from the statements of two persons, C Arvind, (then secretary of Sisodia) and Buchi Babu (CA of K Kavitha). C Arvind, ED said, revealed he was handed over the draft Group of Ministers report by Sisodia at Kejriwal’s residence where former minister Satyendra Jain was also present. The document mentioned wholesale licence should be given to private players and a profit margin was fixed at 12%. These points were never discussed in GoM meetings, ED said. C Arvind prepared a draft and handed it to Sisodia. It was later submitted before the cabinet. Certain provisions of the policy were found in WhatsApp messages retrieved from Buchi Babu’s phone two days before the policy was finalised by the council of ministers. Babu revealed, ED said, that these parts of the policy were sent to him by Vijay Nair, a Kejriwal aide. The second direct role of Kejriwal, which ED found, was the kickbacks received from the ‘South Group’ in exchange for favours. ED says that it has the statements of some alleged members of the ‘South Group’ — Sarath Reddy, Ra ghav Magunta, and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy — who later turned approvers.
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