NEW DELHI
SC Paves Way for Verdict in 2002 Gulberg Society Massacre Case
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Ahmedabad trial court to pronounce the judgment in a case pertaining to the 2002 Gulberg Society massacre in which former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri and 67 others were killed. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur said there was no restraint on the trial judge to pronounce the verdict, and granted him three months to do so. The apex court had on August 5 last year also granted an extension of three months to wind up the proceedings in the case. The court had also declined to give bail to the accused who had sought relief on the grounds that since trial of the case had been dragging, they were entitled to be released from jail as they had been in jail for 10 years.
Soni Sori Admitted to Apollo;No Threat to Her Life: Doctors
Tribal rights activist Soni Sori, who was attacked with an acid-like substance in Chhattisgarh, was on Sunday night admitted to the capital’s Apollo hospital where doctors said that there was no threat to her life. A statement from the Apollo Hospital said: “We are hopeful that she will recover within the next few weeks. Her condition is stable at the moment with no threat to her life.” The hospital said that a team of doctors were monitoring her condition on an hourly basis. The statement said that Sori had been evaluated by an ophthalmologist and her eyes appear to be normal, though she has “orbital and conjunctival oedema (a condition when watery fluid collects in cavities or tissues)”. Sori was flown to Delhi from Chhattisgarh by Aam Admi Party for treatment on Sunday.
Centre Issues Guidelines to State Governments on Safe Abortions
Realising that the law to prevent gender-biased sex selection was coming in the way of ensuring safe abortion options for women, the Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines for state governments as well as abortion centres to ensure judicious implementation of laws concerning both the issues. While the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act governs abortions, it is the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act under which sex-selective abortions are dealt with. The guidelines were developed by an expert group who worked to develop a package for gynaecologists and medical officers who have already undergone Comprehensive Abortion Care training, to update them on various service delivery aspects of both the acts. The guidelines include conditions under which a pregnancy may be terminated and the place where a pregnancy may be terminated.