Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court on Friday commenced proceedings in the 11-year-old single lease deed (ekal patta) corruption case. Following instructions from Supreme Court of India , HC Chief Justice MM Shrivastava's single bench initiated the hearing on the case that involves allegations of corruption against Congress MLA and former urban development and housing (UDH) minister Shanti Dhariwal and three former officials of the department. During Friday's proceedings, the HC instructed all the parties involved to submit additional documentation and directed RTI activist Ashok Pathak to file an application for becoming an intervenor in the case. The court has scheduled the final hearing in the last week of January. Previously, the SC had invalidated two HC orders based on Pathak's SLPs and mandated a fresh hearing of the case. On Nov 5, the SC quashed both the orders of the HC dated Jan 17, 2023, and Nov 15, 2022. In its order on Jan 17, the HC stayed criminal proceedings against then ACS GS Sandhu, then deputy secretary Nishkam Diwakar, Jaipur Development Authority's (JDA) then zone deputy commissioner Omkarmal Saini and Dhariwal. At that time, the SC ordered the HC to re-evaluate the case from all angles. The SC order came a day after the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP govt, altering its stance, requested to set aside the previous HC judgement in this case. The SC said in its order that the Chief Justice of the HC should himself hear this case and that the HC must decide the case within six months. An application was filed by the complainant to make Shanti Dhariwal an accused, and the latter had then filed an appeal in the HC against this plea. The HC granted relief to Dhariwal on Nov 15, 2022, and cancelled the protest petition and other criminal proceedings going on in an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court. It was said on behalf of Dhariwal that his name was not mentioned anywhere in the FIR and the challan. No crime was proved against him even in the closure report presented by ACB. The case stems from JDA's issuance of a single lease in the name of Shailendra Garg, proprietor of Ganpati Construction, on June 29, 2011, which led to Ramsharan Singh complaining about it to ACB in 2013. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .SC41 Focuses on Health and Sustainability, Showcasing the Best Chemical-Free Furniture and Natural Mattresses Santa Cruz
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Israel and its allies denounced the International Criminal Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as Turkey -- and rights groups - welcomed the move. The court also issued warrants for Israel's former defence minister as well as Hamas's military chief Mohammed Deif. They were issued in response to accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, set off by the Palestinian group's October 7, 2023 attack. Israel: New 'Dreyfus trial' "The anti-Semitic decision of the International Criminal Court is comparable to the modern-day Dreyfus trial -- and it will end in the same way," Netanyahu said in a statement. He was referring to the 19th-century Alfred Dreyfus affair in which a Jewish army captain was wrongly convicted of treason in France before being exonerated. US: 'Fundamentally rejects' The United States "fundamentally rejects" the ICC's decision and "we remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor's rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision", said a National Security Council spokesperson. "The United States has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter." Argentina: 'Deep disagreement' Argentina "declares its deep disagreement" with the decision, which "ignores Israel's legitimate right to self-defence against the constant attacks by terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah," President Javier Milei posted on X. Hamas: 'Justice' "(It's) an important step towards justice and can lead to redress for the victims in general, but it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world," Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim said of the warrants against Israeli politicians. European Union: 'Binding' "It is not a political decision," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, speaking during a visit to Jordan. "It is a decision of a court, of a court of justice, of an international court of justice. And the decision of the court has to be respected and implemented." Israeli victims: 'Significant' "This arrest warrant against Mr Deif is massively significant," said Yael Vias Gvirsman, who represents 300 Israeli victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks. "It means these victims' voices are being heard," she added, speaking from outside the court in The Hague. Palestinian Authority: 'Sign of hope' The Palestinian Authority, a rival of Hamas, said "the ICC's decision represents hope and confidence in international law and its institutions". It urged ICC members to enforce "a policy of severing contact and meetings' with Netanyahu and Gallant. Amnesty International: 'Wanted man' "Prime Minister Netanyahu is now officially a wanted man," said Amnesty's Secretary General Agnes Callamard. "ICC member states and the whole international community must stop at nothing until these individuals are brought to trial before the ICC's independent and impartial judges." Human Rights Watch: not 'beyond' the law "The ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders and a Hamas official break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law." Turkey: 'Positive decision' The ICC's decision "is a belated but positive decision to stop the bloodshed and put an end to the genocide in Palestine," Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed the warrants as "an extremely important step". Italy: 'Will evaluate' Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said his country would be obliged to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they visited, although he added he believed the ICC was "wrong" to put Netanyahu on the same level as Hamas. Spain: 'Respects the decision' Spain said it would follow the ruling, with official sources telling AFP the country "respects the decision and will conform to its commitments and obligations in compliance with the Rome Statute and international law". Norway: 'Confidence' "It is important that the ICC carries out its mandate in a judicious manner. I have confidence that the court will proceed with the case based on the highest fair trial standards," Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said. Sweden: 'Independence and integrity' "Sweden and the EU support the important work of the court and safeguard its independence and integrity," Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the worldJayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. trained and went through the NFL draft process together on the way to becoming two of the five quarterbacks taken in the top 10. After going off the board earlier with the second pick by the Washington Commanders, Daniels has been their starter all season and one of football's breakout stars . Penix, taken eighth in a move coach Raheem Morris joked “shocked the world," waited behind Kirk Cousins until usurping the veteran and making his first pro start last week. On Sunday night, they'll face off in the league's first prime-time showdown of rookie QBs selected in the first round, and the spotlight is bright with significant playoff implications at stake. “I'm happy for him — he waited his time,” Daniels said of Penix. “He's a phenomenal player in my eyes, and I'm excited to be able to match up against him.” Daniels and the Commanders (10-5) are in the playoffs with a win. They might already be in before kickoff if Tampa Bay loses at home to Carolina, though the Buccaneers are 8-point favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook. Washington is favored by 4 against the Falcons (8-7), who are vying with the Bucs for the NFC South title and a home playoff game and also in contention with the Commanders and others for the conference's wild-card spots. “The reality is that you fight, you fight, you fight and you put yourself in a position to go out there and win your division,” Penix said. "You put yourself in a chance to get yourself to qualify for extra play. We’re right in the mix of doing that, and we’ve got to go do it and finish.” Daniels, who threw five touchdown passes to beat Philadelphia last week and end the Eagles’ winning streak at 10 games, is the prohibitive favorite to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards in a rout of the New York Giants that included two touchdowns by Atlanta's defense and two on the ground from running back Bijan Robinson. “I was really pleased with his composure, his poise, his ability to click through progressions,” Morris said. "Realistically, it was a pretty clean game at the quarterback position. I’m very pleased with what he did and how he did it and the support that he had around him.” Coaching connection Washington's Dan Quinn is facing the Falcons as a head coach for the first time since they fired him in 2020. He was replaced then on an interim basis by Morris, who was an assistant on his staff in Atlanta the entire time Quinn was in charge, including the run to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season. “It’s always fun to play against your friends, your confidants, your mentors — whatever you want to look at it as — that we’ve been able to grow up with throughout this whole process,” said Morris, who was an assistant in Washington from 2012-14 under Mike Shanahan and interviewed for the Commanders job last winter. “Dan coaching me in college," Morris added, "and then having a chance to work together and then having a chance to really follow the same path to the National Football League and then to now being in a fortunate position to be head coaches in this awesome league and having a chance to compete against each other at a very high level with high stakes on the line in prime time and all of those things — I just enjoy those moments of being able to go against guys that you care about.” Morris said conversations from their close working relationship, which dates to their time together at Hofstra, are on a break right now. “Obviously you swap texts on normal weeks,” Morris said. “I won’t talk to him this week. I’ll ban him. I’ll block him on the phone.” More zip leads to more drops Penix's results would have been even more impressive if not for some drops by receivers. Ray-Ray McCloud and Drake London had miscues on Atlanta’s opening drive. Tight end Kyle Pitts bobbled a pass later that led to Penix's interception. Serving as scout-team QB while Cousins was the starter , Penix had little practice time with the first-string offense before last week. As a left-hander, Penix gives receivers a different look, but perhaps the biggest adjustment was the added zip on his passes when compared with Cousins. “We kind of talked about that,” Morris said. “We figured that would happen. ... We talked about the reps with these guys, not having as many. So, things like that are going to happen. But I do like the fact that we’re able to keep playing and pushing and watch the guys get better and better as we went. Fuller strength The Commanders are expected to get two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen back after surgery in October to repair a torn pectoral muscle initially looked to be season-ending . “We know the caliber of Jon and what he can bring,” Quinn said. “He’s strong. He’s tough. So when that does happen, that’ll be something that will definitely bring energy to our defense.” Allen had 15 tackles and two sacks in five-plus games before getting injured at Baltimore on Oct. 13. Sacks on the rise After ranking last in the league with 10 sacks through the first 11 games, Atlanta’s long-struggling pass rush has enjoyed a dramatic surge. The Falcons have at least three in four consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league, with 16 total over this stretch. Arnold Ebiketie recorded his fifth sack and recovered a fumble against the Giants, and Kaden Elliss had a strip sack. Elliss also has five sacks and has dropped opposing QBs in four consecutive games: the longest streak by a Falcons defender since Patrick Kerney's five in a row in 2001. AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLIRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays. Officials have missed several obvious facemask penalties this season, including two in a three-week span during Thursday night games. “When we see it, because I see it like yourselves and the fans, I have an opportunity to see it from a different angle and see it from a slow-mo,” NFL executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the league’s winter meetings. “When you think about the position of where the officials are, things are happening so fast. Sometimes the facemask can be the same color as the gloves. There’s a lot happening. Concerning? Yes, because that’s a big miss. That’s a big foul. That’s why we would like to consider putting that for the membership to consider putting that foul category that we can see, putting that (penalty flag) on the field to help. There is a frustration, and we believe that is one category we can potentially get right." Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was grabbed by his facemask and brought down in the end zone to end Minnesota’s comeback attempt against the Rams on Oct. 24. But there was no call. On Oct. 3, officials missed a facemask on Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving while he ran for 7 yards late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay instead was called for holding on the play, got forced out of field-goal range and Kirk Cousins rallied the Falcons to an overtime victory. “That is one this year, the facemask seems like it was the obvious one” Vincent said. “That keeps showing up.” Vincent also cited hits on a defenseless player, tripping, the fair catch, an illegal batted ball, an illegal double-team block, illegal formations on kickoffs and taunting as other areas that warrant consideration for replay assist. Current rules only allow replay assist to help officials pick up a flag incorrectly thrown on the field, or in assisting proper enforcement of a foul called on the field. The NFL’s Competition Committee will review potential recommendations for owners to vote on for expanding replay assist. Vincent was emphatic about the league’s desire to eliminate low blocks that could lead to serious injuries. “The low block below the knee needs to be removed from the game,” Vincent said. “You look at high school, you look at college, too. Every block should be above the knee, but below the neck. All the work that we’ve done for the head and neck area, all the things that we’ve taken out of the game, this is the right time for us to remove the low block out of the game. Be consistent with high school. Be consistent with college. Every block should be above the knee and below the neck.” The league will consider changes to the onside kick after dramatically overhauling the kickoff rule on a one-year basis. “We need to look at that. That’s a dead play,” Vincent said of the onside kick’s low success rate. “That is a ceremonial play. Very low recovery rate. When we look at the kickoff and maybe where the touchback area should be during the offseason, we need to revisit the onside kick.” Options include giving the team an opportunity to run one play to gain a certain number of yards to keep possession. The Washington Commanders’ search for a new stadium site includes options in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and work has escalated on one in particular. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and controlling owner Josh Harris met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week about the RFK Stadium site in Washington, which requires a bill getting through Congress to transfer the land to the District government before anything else can happen. “I think there’s a bipartisan support for this,” Goodell said, adding he’d like to see it get to a vote soon. “We hope that it will be addressed and approved so that it’s at least an alternative for the Commanders if we go forward. I grew up in Washington, and I know would be exciting for a lot of fans.” The NFL continues to discuss a potential 18-game season, but would need approval from the players’ union. “We are doing analysis I would say, but we are not finalizing any plans at this point,” Goodell said. “They’ll share that analysis with the players’ union, which would need to agree to any change.” AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed. AP NFL:
Apparently, having six Super Bowl rings as a head coach, along with two as a defensive coordinator no longer moves the needle in the NFL. Having one of the greatest defensive minds in the sport doesn’t mean what it used to when filling a coaching vacancy. Why else would Bill Belichick , who was in the process of finalizing a deal to become the head coach at the University of North Carolina Wednesday, flee to college? Twenty-four years ago, Robert Kraft surrendered a first-round pick to the New York Jets to make Belichick his head coach. That’s how much he thought of Belichick. Most people thought the Patriots owner was nuts for doing that. But he had the last laugh. Today? Forget a draft pick, Belichick’s not even worth a phone call from NFL types. What’s up with that Chicago? He’s exactly what the Bears need. They need a coach who knows how to coach, and who won’t let the clock run out before kicking a game-tying field goal. And what about Jacksonville, who is expected to dump Doug Pederson at season’s end? The Jags have underachieved. They were expected to be a playoff team. Instead, they’re in the mix for the first overall pick. How does Belichick, who is friends with owner Shahid Khan, no longer have appeal? He’d make that defense one of the NFL’s best, and bring along Josh McDaniels to make Trevor Lawrence and that offense great again. Then, there’s Jerry Jones. He supposedly likes Belichick, too. And yet, the Cowboys still have Mike McCarthy in the saddle. Didn’t Jones hire Bill Parcells to bail out one of his losing teams? Why not have the Hoodie do the same? What about New York, where Brian Daboll is hanging on by a thread? Belichick worships the Mara family. He holds a special place in his heart for his time as an assistant with the Giants. He was part of two championships there with Parcells. Isn’t the feeling mutual? Apparently not - across the board. The pro teams aren’t bullish on Belichick , arguably the GOAT of NFL coaches. “I can’t believe that a guy with his reputation, and the things he can do coaching-wise, people (in the NFL) should be jumping at the opportunity to give him a job,” Patriots Hall of Famer Rodney Harrison told MassLive Wednesday. It didn’t happen. When the former Patriots head coach put his hat in the ring for UNC, and that became public, why wouldn’t one of those NFL teams with an opening, or an expected opening, whisper in the Hoodie’s ear to hold on? Don’t settle for UNC so fast? The answer has a few layers. Age, baggage and power are all in the anti-Belichick mix. Why would an NFL team blow up its coaching staff and organization for a 72-year-old - Belichick turns 73 in April - who might only coach a couple more years? The feeling is Belichick - who needs 15 more wins to surpass Don Shula’s all-time record for wins (playoffs included) would retire once he achieves that, or soon thereafter. Baggage? Wherever Belichick goes, he’s going to bring along his people. Whether its on the coaching staff (McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Joe Judge) or front office (Matt Groh, Michael Lombardi?), Belichick will understandably, want his friends alongside. There were reports out of Carolina that Belichick wanted assurances that his son Steve would succeed him at UNC. Not sure about the validity of those reports, but Belichick’s reputation - employing both of his sons in Foxborough - makes it seem plausible. In Atlanta, Arthur Blank’s front office types reportedly helped talk the owner out of hiring Belichick. While there have been claims that Belichick doesn’t need to run the show, it’s hard imagining that. He grew to have total control in New England. It’s hard giving back power. That has to be a deal breaker in the NFL, especially given Belichick’s recent history with free agency and the draft. Neither is good. Respective GMs looking for head coaches are all in self-preservation mode. Given all of the above, hiring an old, control freak - albeit a great coach - wasn’t worth the trouble. But are all these issues non-negotiable? Couldn’t a compromise have been worked out on the issue of control? It sure seems like none of the NFL teams tried, or perhaps Belichick is too stubborn to relinquish control of any operation. UNC, meanwhile, was enamored by Belichick’s star power, and his plan for resurrecting the program - he reportedly submitted a 400-page bible on how to win. Even though Belichick has zero experience coaching at the college level, or dealing with the transfer portal, recruiting and the NIL, his handling of the draft and free agency was close enough to suit the powers that be at Chapel Hill. At first, the thought of Belichick coaching at the college level seemed more like a joke. Now it’s a reality. There are those - including Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski - who voiced their belief that Belichick won’t be able to stand it coaching college kids, and all that comes with it. That might prove to be the case. But just like all the naysayers doubting Kraft’s move more than two decades ago, it’s never a good idea to bet against Belichick, no matter his age. He can still teach, and coach. And that’s half the battle. “He’s ultimately a coach, and that’s what he wants to do,” said Harrison, who won two Super Bowls with Belichick. “If he can impact some of these kids lives given the opportunity, hey, why not?” Why not, indeed. More Patriots Content
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