-Tehelka   Victims will be able to record testimonies without being physically present in Delhi district courts Recounting the horrors of being sexually assaulted is an ordeal for victims particularly in court with the defence shooting off insensitive questions amid strangers. To ensure that victims give testimonies without fear or duress, the Delhi’s Department of Law, Justice & Legislative Affairs will soon install video conferencing facilities in courts. For the first time in...

The Supreme Court on Monday told the Army to not “play with the courts” and stop taking recourse to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to stall prosecution in the 2000 Pathribal Encounter case in Jammu and Kashmir. The apex court asked the Army to come clean on whether they want to start court martial proceedings of eight officers accused of killing five persons in the Encounter or let...

Custodial deaths on the rise, says report Deaths in Police Custody The 10 Worst States Maharashtra - 250 Uttar Pradesh - 174 Gujarat - 134 Andhra Pradesh - 109 West Bengal - 98 Tamil Nadu - 95 Assam - 84 Karnataka - 67 Punjab - 57 Madhya Pradesh - 55 Haryana - 45 *** Tamirul Haq had just stepped out to buy some cigarettes, and probably told his family he’d be back soon. But the 42-year-old from Bengal’s North Dinajpur district never returned home. On...

-The Telegraph   The Supreme Court today slammed army authorities for stalling a criminal case initiated by the CBI against five officers involved in an alleged fake Encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. “You don’t want to take over the case and initiate court-martial proceedings against them. You don’t allow the criminal justice system to go ahead,” the court said. “The victims cannot be remedy-less.” The court’s observations came after the counsel for the officers,...

Police claim it's suicide, but medical report establishes signs of torture On the day Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh addressed a public gathering to mark the creation of Sukma district, carved out of Maoist-affected Dantewada, a custodial death in the Sukma police station underlines the difficulty in winning over a disaffected tribal populace in the backdrop of a violent counterinsurgency campaign. Podiyam Mara of Kondre village died in the police station on...