India on Monday declared an aid of $1.4 billion to the Maldives

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Modi says at a joint press conference with Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih that both sides were connected by mutual faith in democracy and development.

India on Monday declared an aid of $1.4 billion to the Maldives. The financial package that was prepared over the last month was formally announced at a joint press conference held by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldives and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr. Modi said both sides were connected by mutual faith in democracy and development. “Cooperation between our countries is necessary for maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean region and we are willing to take our bilateral relationship to its fullest extent.”

India would be there to support the Maldives in its human-oriented development plans. New Delhi would also support Male in improving connectivity links between the two nations.

In response, President Solih said his government would walk the path of cooperation and development. His discussion with India covered a wide swath of issues such as health, education, and defence, he noted.

India had agreed to a prime-ministerial visit to Male next year, he said.

Upon arrival, Mr. Solih had thanked India and described it as the “closest friend” of his country.

On Monday, both sides signed four agreements.

अपनी मांगों को मनवाने के लिए बैंक अधिकारी 21 दिसम्बर 2018 को 24 घंटे की हड़ताल पर रहेंगे

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अखिल भारतीय बैंक अधिकारी संघ, जिसके पूरे देशभर में 3.20 लाख से ज्यादा बैंक कर्मचारी सदस्य हैं, ने आज पंजाब नेशनल बैंक, बैंक स्कवेर, सैक्टर – 17, चंडीगढ़ में भारी प्रदर्शन किया, जिसमें 1000 से अधिक बैंक अधिकारियों ने हिस्सा लिया और इनहोने Charter of Demand के अंतर्गत स्केल -VII तक के अधिकारियों की काफी समय से लंबित वेतन बढ़ोत्तरी और पाँच कार्यदिवस की माँग को तुरंत प्रभाव से लागू करने की बात राखी और तृतीय पक्ष के उत्पादों की गलत बिक्री को रोकना, NPA रिकवरी करना, बैंक के वास्तविक कार्य को करना, और बैंकों के विलय के विरोध में प्रदर्शन किया । इस मौके पर कॉमरेड दीपक शर्मा, संयुक्त महा सचिव, अखिल भारतीय बैंक अधिकारी संघ, ने वेतन वृधी में देरी के लिए कड़े शब्दों में सरकार ओर भारतीय बैंकिंग संघ की निंदा की जो की नवम्बर 2017 से होनी चाहिए थी और उन्होने Charter of Demand के अंतर्गत स्केल -VII तक के अधिकारियों की तुरंत प्रभाव से वेतन वृधी की माँग की है । उन्होने तुरंत पाँच कार्यदिवस को भी अमल में लाने की बात कही । इनहोने आगे कहा की अपनी मांगों को मनवाने के लिए बैंक अधिकारी 21 दिसम्बर 2018 को 24 घंटे की हड़ताल पर रहेंगे ।

इस मौके पर कॉमरेड संजय शर्मा , प्रधान , एसबीआईओए , चंडीगढ़ मण्डल , ने केन्द्रीय सरकार तथा इंडियन बैंक संघ की जमकर आलोचना की तथा वेतन समझोता जल्दी लागू करने को कहा । उन्होने ये बताया के बैंकिंग इंडस्ट्री का 84% एनपीए बड़े उद्योग घरानो का है और सरकार भी उनके साथ मिलीभगत है इस की वजय से बैंक घाटे में चल रहे है ।

इस मौके पर कॉमरेड अशोक गोयल , प्रधान एआईबीओसी चंडीगढ़ स्टेट ने भी संबोधित किया ।

इस मौके पर बोलते हुए कॉमरेड टी एस साग्गू, राज्य सचिव, अखिल भारतीय बैंक अधिकारी संघ, ने कड़े शब्दों सरकार की बैंकों के विलय की नीति की निंदा की और कहा की एक तरफ तो सरकार नए बैंकों के लाईसेंस जारी कर रही है ओर दूसरी तरफ कमज़ोर बैंक क नाम पर PSB बैंकों का विलय कर रही है । उन्होने बताया की लगभग सभी Public Sector bank परिचालन मुनाफे में हैं और प्रावधानों की वजह से कुल घाटे में है । सरकार बड़े कॉर्पोरेट दोषियों से पूर्ति करने में गंभीर नहीं है ओर नाही कोई शख्त कानून बनाया जा रहा है जिस से इन कॉर्पोरेट से ऋण की वसूली की जा सके । इनहोने आगे कहा की 21 दिसम्बर को होने वाली 24 घंटे की प्रस्तावित हड़ताल में भारी प्रदर्शन कार्यक्रम सभी मुख्य कार्यालय और जिला मुख्यालय में किए जायेंगे, अपनी मांगों के पक्ष मे चिन्ह पहनना, सभी शाखा, कार्यालय, रेल्वे स्टेशन, बस स्टैंड, मे पोस्टर्स लगाना शामिल है और लंच के समय और शाम को रैली करना शामिल है सभी शाखा, कार्यालय और दिल्ली में केंद्रीकृत और सभी राज्यों की राजधानी में धरना और ज्ञापन सौपना शामिल है ।

इस सभा में , कॉमरेड विपिन बेरी, कॉमरेड हरविंदर सिंह , कॉमरेड सचिन कुमार ,कॉमरेड अरूण सीक्का , कॉमरेड डी एन लूना, कॉमरेड नीरू सलदी, कॉमरेड बलविंदर सिंह एवं अन्य सदस्य उपस्थित थे ।

AIBOC held a demonstration outside PNB at bank square Chandigarh

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On the call of All India Bank Officers Confederation , a body having more than 3.20 lac members across the country, held a massive day long demonstration , today , in front of Punjab National Bank , Bank Square Sector-17 , Chandigarh, where more than 1000 bank officers participated and They demand their long pending Wage Revision as per Charter of Demand for all officer up to Scale VII , updation /revision of pension and family pension  , introduction of five day week with immediate effect , stop mis- selling of third party products , focus on core business and NPA recovery , stop merger of Public Sector Banks . Speaking on the occasion Com Deepak Sharma , Joint General Secretary of AIBOC , strongly criticize the government and IBA for delay in their wage revision , which is due since November 2017 and demand immediate wage hike as per the charter of Demand for all the officers  up  to scale VII . He also demand immediate implementation of five day week . He further told that bank officers will observe 24 hour strike on 21st December to press for acceptance of their demands.

Speaking on the occasion Com T S Saggu , State Secretary , AIBOC   strongly  criticize the government move of merger /amalgamation of Public Sector Banks and said that on the one side government is issuing licenses to the new small banks and on the other side they are merging the PSBs in the name of weak banks. He stated the all most all the PSBs  are in operating profit and in net loss due to provisioning. Government is not serious about recovery from big corporate defaulters and are not making stringent laws for the recovery from them. He further stated that proposed 24 hour strike  on 21st December would be preceded by a series of massive agitation programmes across all the major centres and district headquarters, wearing of demand badges, display of posters at all Bank branches / offices / railway stations / bus stands, lunch time / evening time rally / demonstrations at all branches / offices and a Centralized Dharna at Delhi and at all State capitals and submission of Memorandum.

Others who were present on the demonstration are

Com. Ashok Goyal , Com. Harvinder Singh, Com Vipin Beri , Com . Arun Sikka Com D N Sharma , Com. H S Loona, Com. Neeru Saldi , Com. Balwinder Singh   were also present on the venue.

SC refuses to intervene in Rafael jets procurement

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The court declines to employ its considerable powers of judicial review to intervene in the deal’s decision-making process, pricing and the choice of Indian Offset Partner.

The Supreme Court on Friday said it cannot embark on a judicial review into the deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets on the basis of petitions, which seem to have been spurred by a media interview of former French President Francois Hollande and press coverage alleging “favouritism” by the Narendra Modi government.

“Individual perceptions cannot be the basis of a roving judicial review… The court cannot sit as an appellate authority over each and every aspect of the deal,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, who authored the judgment for a three-judge Bench, held.

The court refused to employ its considerable powers of judicial review to intervene in the deal’s decision-making process, pricing and the choice of Indian Offset Partner (IOP). It agreed with the government that judicial review is constricted in matters of defence procurements, inter-govenmental agreements that may be vital to national security.

Decision-making process

The judgment by the Bench, also comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph, expressed the court’s satisfaction that there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process which led to the Inter Government Agreement (IGA) signed on August 24, 2016 between the French and Indian government.

The judgment read out by Chief Justice Gogoi said “minor variations” in the decision-making process should not lead to the setting aside of the contract itself.

The marathon hearings in the court in November had witnessed the government admitting there was no sovereign guarantee from the French government on the 36 Rafale jets’ deal in case the aircraft’s manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, defaulted.

Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal, for the Centre, had however assured there was a “Letter of Comfort” from France, which is as good as a sovereign guarantee. But petitioners like advocate Prashant Bhushan, former Union Ministrs Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha had argued that a letter of comfort had no legal sanctity.

It was also brought to fore in the hearings that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the IGA only well over a year after the Indo-French Joint Statement of April 10, 2015, which the note said, had conveyed an “intent” to acquire the 36 Rafale jets in a fly-away condition “as quickly as possible”. The intent was announced during the Prime Minister’s visit to Paris. The Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2013 mandates that acquisitions worth over Rs. 1,000 crore should be first cleared by the CCS, which is the competent financial authority.

Court restrains from delving deeper

In the judgment, the court however restrained itself from delving deeper. It went on to repeat the government’s claim that the contract was of “financial advantage to the nation”.

Besides, Chief Justice Gogoi recalled how senior IAF officers had told the court about the need for induction of superior fourth and fifth generation fighter jets to gain air superiority.

The court said the negotiations for the revised deal for 36 jets started when the earlier Request for Proposal (RPF) for 126 Rafale jets was all but dead.

“Our country cannot be unprepared… We cannot go into why 36 jets and not 126. We cannot ask the government to go for 126,” the Supreme Court observed.

The court said it could not use the mechanism of judicial review to compare the prices of aircraft between the original RPF of 2007 for 126 jets with Dassault and the present IGA.

The court noted that the explanatory note submitted by the government in the apex court on price details claims there is “commercial advantage” in the purchase of 36 jets. The court noted that the IGA had better terms as regards weapons and specifications.

“We say no more,” Chief Justice Gogoi read out.

Acknowledges government stand

The court acknowledged the government stand that it had no role whatsoever on the choice of the IOP. The vendor, Dassault Aviation, chooses its own IOP.

The court held that there was no substance to the allegation that the government showed any “commercial favouritism” as the choice of IOP was not in the government’s realm.

Mr. Shourie had argued that there was “government interference” in the choice of an IOP. Mr. Shourie had alleged that Reliance Defence, “a company with no defence experience”, was the IOP.

During the hearings, the court had questioned the government’s stand about having no “role” in Dassault’s choice of an Indian Offset Partner (IOP). An amendment in the Offset Policy, which allows “no offset obligations” for the first three years of a contract, had also come under the spotlight. According to the current offset contract, Dassault needs to inform the Centre about its IOP only by October 2019.

The court had questioned the legality of the retrospective amendment and asked that the formal proposal indicating details of IOPs and products for offset discharge should have been part of the main procurement proposal.

The judgment came on a batch of petitions for an independent court-monitored CBI/SIT investigation into the deal.

विजय माल्या के लौटे अच्छे दिन, ट्वीट कर दी पाइलट और सिंधिया को बधाई

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  • देश के कई बड़े बैंकों का पैसा लेकर भागने वाले शराब कारोबारी विजय माल्या ने भी ज्योतिरादित्य सिंध्या और सचिन पायलट को बधाई दी

  • क्या दिन थे UPA सरकार वाले.. जब बैंक के पैसे भी लूट लेते थे और राज्य सभा की सीट भी मिल जाती थी.. क्या खूब दिन थे ! 

छत्तीसगढ़, मध्यप्रदेश और राजस्थान में शानदार जीत दर्ज करने के बाद कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष राहुल गांधी और उनकी टीम के अहम सदस्यों को चारों ओर से बधाइयां मिल रही हैं. इसी कड़ी में देश के कई बड़े बैंकों का पैसा लेकर भागने वाले शराब कारोबारी विजय माल्या ने भी ज्योतिरादित्य सिंध्या और सचिन पायलट को बधाई दी है. माल्या ने ट्वीट कर कहा कि यंग चैंपियंस सचिन पायलट और ज्योतिरादित्य सिंधिया को बहुत बधाई. विधानसभा चुनावों के नतीजे आने के एक दिन बाद माल्या ने ये ट्वीट किया है.

Vijay Mallya

✔@TheVijayMallya

Young Champions @SachinPilot and @JM_Scindia Many congratulations.

इस ट्वीट के लोग अलग-अलग मायने निकाल रहे हैं. ट्विटराती इसे लेकर खूब मजे ले रहे हैं और कांग्रेस पर निशाना भी साध रहे हैं. माल्या के इस पोस्ट पर कमेंट करते हुए एक ट्विटर यूजर ने लिखा है कि भारत वापस आने के बाद आप पायलट और सिंधिया पर्सनली मिल लेना.

Vijay Mallya

✔@TheVijayMallya

 · 

Young Champions @SachinPilot and @JM_Scindia Many congratulations.

Deepjyoti Pal@speedmystic

Once you are back meet them personally and wish them…

See Deepjyoti Pal’s other Tweets

Twitter Ads info and privacy

वहीं एक अन्य व्यक्ति ने कमेंट किया है कि बीजेपी के चुनाव हारते ही माल्या की अपने अच्छे दिन की उम्मीद जाग उठने लगी है.

Vijay Mallya

✔@TheVijayMallya

 · 

Young Champions @SachinPilot and @JM_Scindia Many congratulations.

Raju Choudhary@jatraju

भाजपा के चुनाव हारते ही मालया को अपने अच्छे दिनों की उम्मीद जाग उठी है..

क्या दिन थे UPA सरकार वाले.. जब बैंक के पैसे भी लूट लेते थे और राज्य सभा की सीट भी मिल जाती थी.. क्या खूब दिन थे ! 

आपको बता दें कि पीएनबी समेत देश के कई बैंकों के नौ हजार करोड़ रुपए लेकर फरार होने वाले विजय माल्या को लंदन की वेस्टमिनिस्टर कोर्ट ने भारत भेजने की इजाजत दे दी है. ब्रिटेन की वेस्टमिंस्टर मजिस्ट्रेट की अदालत की मुख्य मजिस्ट्रेट जज एम्मा आर्बुथनॉट ने सोमवार को माल्या के भारत प्रत्यर्पण की अनुमति दी, ताकि उनके खिलाफ भारतीय जांच एजेंसियों, केंद्रीय अन्वेषण ब्यूरो (सीबीआई), प्रवर्तन निदेशालय (ईडी) की जांच के आधार पर मुकदमा चलाया जा सके.

ब्रिटेन के गृह मंत्रालय ने कहा है कि उसे माल्या के भारत प्रत्यर्पण को लेकर वेस्टमिंस्टर मजिस्ट्रेट की अदालत का फैसला मिल गया है. भारत सरकार का पक्ष रखने वाले क्राउन प्रोसक्यूशन सर्विस (सीपीएस) के प्रवक्ता ने कहा था कि ‘इस मामले पर गौर करने के बाद गृह मंत्री को लगता है कि प्रत्यर्पण को हरी झंडी दी जा सकती है तो इसके लिए उनके पास दो महीने का समय होगा. उनके फैसले के बाद हारने वाला पक्ष 14 दिन के भीतर हाईकोर्ट में अपील कर सकता है.’

Royal Enfield launches the all new Interceptor INT 650 and Continental GT 650 Motorcycles 

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  • The Interceptor INT 650 to be available starting at Rs. 2,50,000/- and the Continental GT 650 to be available starting at  Rs. 2,65,000/-  (ex-showroom, Chandigarh and Punjab)
  • The 650 Twin motorcycles will come with a 3-year warranty and Roadside Assistance Service

December 12th, 2018; Chandigarh, : The oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, Royal Enfield, today launched highly anticipated twins motorcycles in Chandigarh and Punjab. The Interceptor INT 650 and the Continental GT 650 are available across all dealerships in Chandigarh currently, and will be available across 9 dealerships in Punjab by end of December 2018. Royal Enfield has also begun Online Motorcycle Booking facility with the launch of the 650 Twins.  Consumers across the world, can log into www.royalenfield.com and book their favourite Twin motorcycle or other Royal Enfield motorcycles, by paying the booking amount, for deliveries across 750 dealerships in India to begin with.

  Price in Chandigarh & Punjab  (in INR*) 
Interceptor INT 650 – Standard

[Orange Crush | Silver Spectre | Mark Three]

 250,000
Interceptor INT 650 – Custom

[Ravishing Red | Baker Express]

 257,500
Interceptor INT 650 – Chrome

[Glitter & Dust]

 270,000
Continental GT 650 – Standard

[Black Magic | Ventura Blue]

 265,000 
Continental GT 650 – Custom

[Ice Queen | Dr. Mayhem]

 272,500 
Continental GT 650 – Chrome

[Mister Clean]

 285,000

(Prices are ex-showroom)

Commenting about the launch of the Royal Enfield Twins, Rudratej Singh, President, Royal Enfield, said, “Royal Enfield has had a sustained track record of profitable, competitive and consistent growth, on the back of its single cylinder portfolio for many decades. Today, we are proud to add the next chapter to what, we’re certain, will be the next wave of momentum to Royal Enfield’s growth story. Our first ever global and simultaneous launch – of the Continental GT and Interceptor 650 Twins ushers in the next chapter to our journey. We launched them in California, followed by Europe, then Asia Pacific and now across our homeland, in India. The introduction of the 650 Twin motorcycles makes our portfolio even more comprehensive, and puts the stamp on us as a serious global player with the core objective to expand the middle weight segment worldwide. In India as well,  it does a significant job for us. We already have a pool of close to 3.5 million Royal Enfield owners in India, many of whom have been waiting for the next wave of pure motorcycling offers from Royal Enfield. We see them being the early adopters to the twins. I am humbly confident that our labour of love of many years in bringing the Twin motorcycles to launch will be equally appreciated by our large and involved community of riders and owners. Alongside, I also believe there are many purists and leisure motorcyclists who will buy Royal Enfield for the first time via the twins”

Revealing the price of the 650 Twin motorcycles  Rudratej Singh, said “Chandigarh is an important market for us, where Royal Enfield and Bullet enjoy immense equity. ‘Bullet’ has retained the ‘most preferred motorcycle’ tag for decades. We are confident that consumers in Punjab & Chandigarh, as our time tested patrons, will extend an overwhelming response to the 650 Twin motorcycles, Available at a price of Rs 2,50,000/ – for the Interceptor INT 650, and  Rs. 2,65,000/-  for the Continental GT 650 (ex-showroom, Chandigarh), these motorcycles will allow for expansion of the middle-weight segment in Chandigarh, Punjab and in India. The 650 Twin motorcycles will come with a 3-year warranty and Roadside Assistance Service. Our consumers can also choose from a collection of 40 Genuine Motorcycle Accessories that will have a 2-year warranty.”

At the heart of every Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Twin and Interceptor INT 650 Twin, is the built-in fun factor provided by each model’s special combination of an agile chassis (developed at the company’s UK Technology Centre with legendary sports motorcycle frame builder Harris Performance) and a simple but state-of-the-art air-cooled, 650cc engine producing a punchy yet user-friendly 47 horsepower.

As well as emitting a gorgeous exhaust note, the engine offers ample pulling power to make the motorcycle  unfussy to ride in urban traffic and exhilarating on the open road – meaning the Continental GT 650 and Interceptor INT 650 offer the perfect motorcycling package for both experienced and novice owners.

  

The Continental GT 650 will appeal especially to sporting riders with its optional single seat, sculpted fuel tank, rearset footrests and race-style clip-on handlebars, all of which have been ergonomically designed to remain comfortable in the city, on the highway or on the twisting back roads where the motorcycle really comes alive.

The Interceptor INT 650, meanwhile, harks back to Royal Enfield’s 1960s twins through its teardrop tank with traditional knee recesses, comfortable, quilted dual seat and wide, braced handlebars reminiscent of the street scrambler style that emerged in ’60s California. Its comfortable and commanding riding position make the Interceptor both fun and practical on all types of terrain, from curving coastal roads to the urban jungle, for heading out of town two-up or for cruising down to the beach.

With individuality being key to today’s riders, both the Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor INT 650 can be had in Standard, Custom or Chrome versions with a wide range of retro options ranging from special paint colours and pin stripes to retro-cool bar-end mirrors, optional fly screens and alternative finishes for items such as wheels, lights and suspension components.

Both motorcycles, come with a range of Royal Enfield Gear and apparel that are inspired by the 60’s and reflect the cuts and silhouettes from the cultural contexts and the era of these motorcycles. Comprising of Clymer and Spirit jackets, a curated range of t-shirts, helmets, leo boots, ankle-high sneakers, and covert Cordura jeans and Streetborn Gloves, the range of Gear, aesthetically fuses classic styling with contemporary functionality.

The Interceptor INT 650 and Continental GT 650, also come with a suite of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories, that in addition to providing comfort, styling and protection, also lend as a means to self expression for the rider. The range comprises of new functional and protective accessories such as engine guards, lifting handle, pannier mounts and an auxiliary electrical port, and also includes styling accessories such as chrome and stainless steel silencer slip ons, acrylic fly screen, single and twin seat cowls, and soft canvas panniers.

Vijay Mallya case: UK Home Office gets receipt of extradition order

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Vijay Mallya’s date with jail fast approaching as lawyers deploy last remaining legal tricks to stall extradition

London:

Springtime in the new year ought to see fugitive economic offender and ex-liquor baron Vijay Mallya back in a comfortable jail cell in Mumbai. The “long process” of law he spoke of after London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court ordered his extradition on 10 December is unlikely to turn out to be that long after all. The legal moves left to his legal team to stall his extradition are few and far between and even they appear feeble.

But, first the timetable. Mallya must appeal against the extradition order within two weeks, so just short of Christmas. The court will consider whether he can be allowed to leave the United Kingdom (UK) and whether he has any legal basis to challenge the court’s order. Mallya is expected to be granted his wish to file an appeal. A February hearing date is likely, and the appeals court may typically hear arguments for no more than a day: certainly these wouldn’t take a year or more as they did in the Westminster court. The appeals court may announce a decision within a few weeks.

Then, he’d have only 10 days to appeal to the Supreme Court (SC), if the appeals court upholds the magistrate’s order. The SC decides within a few days whether to consider the appeal. The SC is not a third state of review open to any party; it only takes on cases that involve fundamental legal issues of wider public interest. Mallya’s plea wouldn’t appear a SC matter.

But the home secretary still has a hand to play as a joker in the legal pack: Mallya could appeal to him to block extradition on grounds of ill health. “I have my rights,” Mallya said after the extradition order. His right to appeal, and to appeal further in the SC, add this too. But the home secretary still can’t take a unilateral decision to block his extradition on grounds of ill health. He will have to send the case back to the appeals court for a decision.

Could Mallya use his diabetes as an excuse to stay on in the UK? Under British law, the home secretary would be bound to review any decision to order physical extradition if there were to be a change of circumstances. “The most common type of change we see is where someone’s health has deteriorated significantly between the date on which the court decided he should be extradited and the time the matter gets to the secretary of state,” said Nick Vamos, former head for extradition at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and now partner at legal firm Peters & Peters. “So they’ll then try to renew a human rights argument to say that looking at my state of health now, the potential risk to my human rights if I was now extradited is far greater than it was when the court looked at it. Under those circumstances, the secretary of state would return the case to the court to look at that argument.”

The hearing in the appeals court will be limited. No witnesses can be produced: Mallya produced six and the Indian government none at the Westminster court. What the Indian government did produce was some clinically sharp cross-examination of those witnesses by Mark Summers representing the CPS, and in turn, the Indian government. “The high court will be very slow to interfere with findings based on live evidence that senior district judge Emma Arbuthnot heard,” said Vamos. “If they’re not going to hear the same witnesses, they’re not going to interfere with her (magistrate Arbuthnot’s) assessment of them. If it’s about documentary evidence, the high court is just as able to reach its own view. It doesn’t start from scratch, it doesn’t hear the whole case again. It looks at findings, the evidence, and decides — whether she made a mistake — and if not, it won’t reach a different conclusion.”

And does Vamos think the magistrate made a mistake? “I didn’t hear the evidence, and I didn’t read every single document that she (Arbuthnot) did, but I didn’t see anything obviously wrong with her judgment,” Vamos added. “The threshold for evidence remains just as low for the appeals court as it did for the magistrate’s court; it will still be only prima-facie evidence. The appeals court is not looking for guilt or innocence, it is not looking to prove anything beyond reasonable doubt. The sliver of hope for Mallya is whether on balance of probabilities he has a case to answer. There lies the theoretical possibility of producing new evidence, but I find it unlikely there could be new evidence.”

Mallya’s team will clearly be looking for weak points to pick on and mount a last-ditch bid to stall his extradition. And despite the victory, the Indian government didn’t quite get everything right in their preparation. The magistrate, in her order, noted some lapses. “The judge did comment on the state of the evidence, the way it was presented, and that this did not show a high level or clarity and organisation on Indian authorities,” said Vamos. “But she found there was sufficient evidence. I think they’ll have another go at that, to say there was a jumble of papers. But the heart of the judgment was that there was enough evidence there.” The Westminster judge also said she wasn’t going to give a separate ruling on abuse of the legal process, because she dealt with that in the principal motivation argument. The Mallya team is likely to pick on this as well.

Inevitably, said Vamos, the prison conditions argument will be raised again, despite the video evidence presented of near elite detention conditions set up for Mallya in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail. “I think he’ll try to suggest that even if you accept that this is the cell he would be held in, and this is what it looks like, the Indian government can’t be trusted to keep their assurance. It’s not the best argument he has but he doesn’t have that many arguments left because I don’t think he can really challenge the findings on the evidence, so he has to try where he can to chip away at the findings made by the Westminster court. Ultimately, it’s a question of whether the court believes it. At the Westminster court they did, and I think the high court will uphold it as well.”

The Westminster court’s decision, Vamos said, stands independent of the political storm in India over Mallya’s extradition. “Indians should understand that if Mallya eventually is extradited from the UK it won’t be because India politicians have been publicly shouting or applying pressure, but because of the careful examination of all the issues in a UK court and because the Indian authorities finally have provided sufficient evidence and assurances to meet the required tests,” he added.

And, the final decision of the court would be for the secretary of state to carry out. If the final order emerging from court procedures is to confirm extradition, the secretary of state would order Mallya to present himself at a particular place at an appointed time to board the plane that would fly the dethroned king of good times back to India.

Shakti Kanta Das to be appointed as new RBI Governor

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Shakti Kanta Das

He replaces Urjit Patel, who resigned on Monday citing personal reasons.

A day after the sudden resignation of Urjit Patel, the Modi Government on Tuesday appointed former bureaucrat Shakti Kanta Das as new Governor of Reserve Bank of India amidst tussle between the government and the central bank over several key issues.

Mr. Das has been appointed for a term of three years.Mr. Das, a 1980 batch IAS Officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is a former Secretary, Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance and is currently member of the 15th Finance Commission.

Mr. Das was Economic Affairs Secretary during demonetisation in 2016.

His name was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and subsequently notification was issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.

विंदु दारा सिंह और दीना उमरोवा ने शहर के एक निजी पार्लर का उद्घाटन किया

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फोटो और ख़बर: कपिल नागपाल

पंचकूला के सेक्टर 2 में एक निजी पार्लर के उद्घाटन मौके पर पहुंचे बिग बॉस विनर और बॉलीवुड एक्टर्स बिंदु दारा सिंह और बॉलीवुड एक्टर दीना उमराव

फोटो: कपिल नागपाल

Urjit resigns cites personal reasons

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Cites “personal reasons” for his decision.

Dr. Urjit Patel on Monday announced that he was stepping down from his position as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor.

His statement is as follows:

“On account of personal reasons, I have decided to step down from my current position effective immediately. It has been my privilege and honour to serve in the Reserve Bank of India in various capacities over the years. The support and hard work of RBI staff, officers and management has been the proximate driver of the Bank’s considerable accomplishments in recent years. I take this opportunity to express gratitude to my colleagues and Directors of the RBI Central Board, and wish them all the best for the future.”

Dr. Patel, was appointed the Governor of the RBI in 2016. He was previously the Deputy Governor of the central bank.

Prior to his term as Deputy Governor, which began in January 2013, Dr. Patel was with the Boston Consulting Group as an advisor on energy and infrastructure.

He has a Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University and an M. Phil. from Oxford University. Dr. Patel was with International Monetary Fund (IMF) between 1990 and 1995 and worked on the U.S., India, Bahamas and Myanmar desks.