Explore Business Standard
Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.
A fresh application has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to amend the Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to stop religious conversion by "intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits". The application has been filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay in a pending plea, saying he submitted a detailed representation to the Union ministries of home and law and justice on August 31, 2022 on the issue of conversion. He has also sought a direction to the Centre to review the Visa Rules for religious preachers and foreigner missionaries, and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) rules for foreign- funded NGOs and individuals. "Petitioner submits that Hindus have become minority in many states due to religious conversion by intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts, monetary benefits, offering other help like school admission/medical benefits and using superstition and black magic," the application, fil
The government is considering to remove the penal offences which are already covered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) from the GST Act to make it more taxpayer-friendly, an official said. The proposal, part of the exercise to decriminalise GST law, is likely to be taken up in the next meeting of the GST Council. Once approved by the GST Council, the Finance Ministry will propose amendments to the GST law, which could be taken up in the upcoming winter session of Parliament next month. "Law committee has finalised the changes in Section 132 of the GST Act as part of the exercise to decriminalise the law," the official told PTI. The offences that are similar to those covered under the Indian Penal Code would be removed from GST law, the official added. The amendments would be placed before the GST Council for approval. Thereafter, it would go to Parliament for effecting changes in the GST Act. Once approved by Parliament, states would be required to amend their state GST laws. Tax
The Gujarat government on Thursday called off the five-day-long search operation launched after the collapse of a British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi town of Gujarat and the death toll remained unchanged at 135. State Commissioner of Relief Harshad Patel visited Morbi, located around 300 km from the state capital Gandhinagar, and announced the end of the ongoing search operation, launched on Sunday evening soon after the suspension bridge came crashing down, said an official release. Patel chaired a meeting with heads of various agencies involved in the search and rescue operation and took a call to end the operation after reviewing the situation, it said. However, as a precautionary measure, one team each of the local fire brigade, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will remain stationed at the accident site until further orders, said the release. Notably, personnel from the Indian Army, the Navy, the .
Haryana Police on Tuesday said it conducted a series of coordinated raids and arrested 964 people and lodged 710 FIRs under the Indian Penal Code, the Arms and the Excise Act as part of a day-long drive against illegal activities in the state. Director General of Police (DGP) P K Agrawal said the drive was aimed at taking effective action against criminal elements, putting a check on street crime, illegal weapons and to unearth illegal arms and liquor as well as narcotic substances. "We wish to create fear of law into the hearts of criminals and anti-social elements in each district by raiding their streets or houses without leaving a scope for them to escape," the DGP said in a statement issued here. According to the reports received from field units, around 3,500 police personnel in 645 teams raided a number of locations, the statement said. During these raids, the teams also managed to nab 45 proclaimed offenders and 34 bail jumpers, it added. The maximum accused were arrested i