The Evening Wrap: PM Modi speaks to Putin; seeks safe evacuation of Indians from Ukraine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over phone, where Modi urged his Russian counterpart to hold direct talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, in addition to the ongoing negotiations between their teams. According to government sources, the phone call lasted for about 50 minutes. The two leaders discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine. President Putin briefed Modi on the status of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams. Prime Minister Modi appreciated the announcement of a ceasefire and establishment of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine, including Sumy. Modi stressed the importance of safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Sumy at the earliest. President Putin assured Modi of all possible cooperation in their safe evacuation. Modi also had a phone conversation with Zelensky, where he said India supported a direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. Modi thanked President Zelensky for facilitating evacuation of the stranded Indian students. Meanwhile, Russian news agencies reported on Monday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba plan to meet on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in the Turkish resort of Antalya on March 10. Indian envoy Mukul Arya passes away, Palestinian Authority “closely monitoring” cause of death Mukul Arya, India’s representative at the Palestinian city of Ramallah, has passed away, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Sunday, condoling the death of the young diplomat who had taken charge as India’s envoy to Ramallah last year. “Deeply shocked to learn about the passing away of India’s Representative at Ramallah, Shri Mukul Arya. He was a bright and talented officer with so much before him. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones,” said Jaishankar. Palestine has expressed “astonishment” at the sudden demise of the Indian Representative to Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. “Dr. Riyad Al-Maliki extends his heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy to his counterpart Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India, Subrahmaniam Jaishankar, and through him to the friendly Indian government, the family of Ambassador Arya and his relatives,” stated a press release from the Palestinian Embassy here. The press statement declared that Palestinian authorities are investigating the incident. “As soon as the painful news arrived, immediate instructions were issued from President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, to all the security, police and public authorities, in addition to the Ministry of Health and Forensic Medicine, to immediately move to the place of residence of the Indian ambassador, to closely monitor the case of death,” the press release said. Arya, a 2008 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, was well regarded as an upcoming young diplomat and had previously served in Indian missions in Afghanistan and Russia. He also served at the Permanent Delegation of India to the UNESCO in Paris. NSE ex-MD Chitra Ramkrishna sent to seven-day CBI custody in co-location scam case A Delhi court Monday granted the CBI seven-day custodial interrogation of former managing director and chief executive officer of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna in NSE co-location scam case. Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal passed the order after hearing arguments from CBI and the counsel appearing for accused. The probe agency had sought her 14-day custodial interrogation. The CBI arrested the accused on Sunday after her anticipatory bail application was dismissed by the court on Saturday. In its application before the court, the CBI alleged that the electronic devices recovered are being analysed and would be used for conducting further examination of Ramakrishna. It alleged that she was evasive and has continuously misguided the Investigation Officer and gave wrong statements. The CBI alleged that her custodial interrogation was needed to unearth the criminal conspiracy and the role of other NSE officials and brokers in the company. “She is also required to be confronted with co-accused Anand Subramanian, who is already in police custody of CBI, to understand the magnitude and scope of the criminal conspiracy. She is also required to be confronted with digital evidence available on record,” the agency told the court. The CBI further submitted that the material already collected in the present case show that Ramkrishna in conspiracy with Subramanian had improperly hired him by coercing the Human Resources (HR) department of the NSE. “Thereafter, she in conspiracy with Subramanian influenced the officials of NSE to facilitate him in having access to important decision-making processes of the NSE. During the same period M/s OPG Securities was gaining undue advantages in NSE by logging into secondary server,” it said. The CBI said that during Ramkrishna’s tenure as Joint MD, NSE, the co-location was conceptualised and implemented. Ramkrishna was appointed as MD and CEO of the NSE on April 1, 2013. “Investigation has revealed that during the period 2013-16 after accused Chitra Ramakrishna took over as MD & CEO of NSE, OPG Securities Pvt Ltd was allowed to connect to secondary server of the COLO-TBT Dissemination server for over 300 trading days causing it undue gain,” it said. It is further submitted that OPG Securities Pvt Ltd was warned repeatedly in 2012 that accessing the secondary server is a violation of the rules/guidelines of the NSE, it said. “NSE however stopped issuing such warnings to OPG Securities without any justifiable reasons during 2013 when Ramkrishna was MD & CEO of NSE. Investigation has also revealed that Muralidharan Natarajan, the CTO of NSETECH (a subsidiary of NSE), was responsible for putting in place the co-location architecture at NSE. He was reporting to Ramakrishna,” the agency told the court. It further alleged that Ramkrishna had shared internal confidential information of the NSE including its Organisational Structure, Dividend scenario, Financial Results, Human Resources Policy and related Issues, Response to Regulator, Future projects etc. to an e-mail ID during the period 2013 to 2016. ‘Setbacks’ in India-China relations do not suit both countries, says Wang Yi Recent “setbacks” in India-China ties do not serve the interests of both countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday, calling on ties “to move forward on the right track”. Speaking to reporters at his annual press conference on the sidelines of the on–going session of the National People’s Congress or Parliament in Beijing, Wang said both sides should not let boundary issues ‘interfere’ with the rest of the relationship. “The boundary question is left over from history,” he said. “China has long advocated managing differences through equal–footed consultations, actively seeking a fair and equitable settlement while not letting it affect or interfere with the bigger picture of bilateral cooperation. I am talking about issues relating to the boundary and territory. I think people should understand this.” Wang acknowledged that “relations encountered setbacks in recent years, which do not serve the fundamental interest of the two countries and people” and called for “relations to move forward on the right track to bring more benefits to our peoples and make greater contribution to the region and the world”. The Chinese Foreign Minister said “some forces have always sought to stoke tensions between China and India and divisions between regions. “Their attempts have put more and more people in reflection and on alert,” he said. “More people have come to realise that for China and India, both major countries with over 1 billion populations, only by staying independent can we firmly grasp our own destiny and realise our goals of rejuvenation and development.” Wang appeared to be referring to the U.S., which he blamed on Monday for creating ‘blocs’ in the region. Many Chinese analysts have pointed the finger at Washington for fomenting tension between China and its neighbours. Indian officials have underlined that the cause of the tensions was China’s mobilisation of troops in April 2020 and multiple transgressions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). They have also said peace on the border is a ‘prerequisite’ for cooperation in other areas and that China has not yet offered an explanation for its moves. Surveys don’t matter, we’ll get over 300 seats: Akhilesh Yadav Dismissing pre-poll surveys that showed that the BJP had the edge in Uttar Pradesh elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on March 7 claimed that the ruling party will be wiped out from the State when the results are declared on March 10. “Let them show whatever they have got. We are winning with a majority,” he said, dismissing predictions earlier on some TV channels. Yadav spoke to PTI before the exit polls were scheduled to come up with their predictions on Monday evening, at the end of the final round of polling for the State Assembly. He claimed that the SP-led alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh with over 300 seats. The SP chief slammed the ruling BJP for presenting “lies and fake data” during the campaign, and said people had realised this and instead voted for their future — against inflation and unemployment and for growth. At the receiving end of the BJP attack on “pariwarvad” throughout the polls, Yadav hit back, claiming that the maximum cases of dynastic politics are found in the ruling party. “After the seventh and final phase of polling, the BJP will be wiped off from the State. The SP alliance is forming a majority government after March 10 with over 300 seats,” Yadav told PTI at his party’s State headquarter in Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh has a 403-member House. Results of the U.P. polls would come out on March 10, along with those from Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. Asked how the 2022 elections were different for him as he was the only face of the party and led the SP campaign, Yadav said, “The elections were fought by the party and its cadre. I was there with them. We were prepared in advance. We held training camps, took out rath yatras, response to which was tremendous. It rejuvenated the party cadre and enthused party workers, who wholeheartedly worked to ensure victory. This will be a victory of the voters,” he said. The SP supremo held over 120 public meetings across the State to drum up support for his party as well as for the alliance partners. About the BJP, he said, “The party forgot the dignity and decency of democracy. It did not value the votes it got (in 2017, 2019). It used bulldozers, used abuses against students and got them lathi-charged. It was all against the common man.” On charges of “pariwarvad”, or dynastic politics, levelled against him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders during the campaign, he claimed, “The BJP is the party where there is maximum ‘pariwarvad’”. He claimed that had Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s uncle not been a part of the Gorakhnath ‘math’, he wouldn’t have had the chance to be there and also get into politics. He mentioned Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia as an example of a member of a political dynasty. He also indirectly referred to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, whose children joined politics. Attacking Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said, “His son is in the cricket board (BCCI). What qualifications does he have?” Yadav alleged that the BJP leaders lied to people on inflation, unemployment and issues related to traders and farmers, who he said laid down their lives while protesting against the agri laws. Supreme Court tells T.N. police to probe with ‘zeal’ 2011 murder of Chennai lawyer’s son The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Tamil Nadu police to investigate with “zeal” and “alacrity” the 2011 murder of a Chennai-based human rights lawyer’s son. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant said the case was one of murder, that too, of the son of a lawyer who had been filing human rights cases against the police. The lawyers’ community in the State was concerned about the status of the case. The court was equally concerned about uncovering the truth behind the crime. The court assured the lawyer, R. Sankarasubbu, that since it was now seized of the case, the police would take up the investigation as a challenge. Sankarasubbu’s 24-year-old son S. Sathish Kumar, a law graduate, died in June 2011. The son’s death had caused a furore, especially among lawyers. However, the court also seemed to indicate that the police would need reasonable time to complete its probe of the case, which was already over a decade old. The court noted that a status report currently filed by the CB-CID (Metro) of the State police, which is probing the case, has not said much. The Bench directed the State police, represented by advocate Joseph S. Aristotle, to file an updated status report. It listed the case again in the second week of May. On the request made by Sankarasubbu’s lawyers, senior advocate R. Basant and advocate Rahul Shyam Bhandari, the Bench directed the DIG of the local range to monitor the probe and affix his signature to the status report to be filed in the court. The investigation of the case has in the past years seen a rollercoaster train of developments. The case was initially probed by the State police and then handed over to the CBI in 2012. The CBI had filed a report, concluding that the case was one of suicide. The Madras High Court subsequently set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by former CBI Director R.K. Raghavan. The SIT, after inquiring into the death, had filed a report with the finding that the young man was actually murdered. However, the SIT could not zero in on the persons involved in the alleged murder. The High Court, on the basis of the SIT report, finally handed over the case to the CB-CID on February 4 last year. Sankarasubbu, early in 2022, moved the top court, alleging that the CB-CID had not filed a single report since February 2021 even though the High Court had directed it to file quarterly status reports before it. Basant had submitted that the CB-CID was an arm of the State police and the family had serious suspicions whether the investigation would be fair. He had urged the court to have the SIT continue the investigation into the crime. Elections to 13 Rajya Sabha seats in 6 States on March 31 The Election Commission on Monday announced that polls to 13 Rajya Sabha seats in six States would be held on March 31. The elections to these 13 seats would bring in a minor change in the political equation in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress could lose two seats in Assam and another one in Himachal Pradesh, bringing down its tally to 31 in the Upper House. This would be an all-time low for the party and could even threaten its status as the lead opposition party in the Rajya Sabha. The fate of five Rajya Sabha seats from Punjab would be decided based on the Punjab Assembly election results on March 10. Out of these five seats, currently two are with the Congress (Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo), two with the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sukhdev Singh and Naresh Gujral) and one with the BJP (Shwait Malik). The BJP’s presence in Punjab is expected to shrink in the 2022 Assembly polls, making it difficult for it to retain the Rajya Sabha seat. The seats in question would be vacated due to the retirement of the members on April 2 and April 9. In Assam, two seats would go to polls due to the retirement of the members, Ranee Narah and Ripun Bora. Congress MP Anand Sharma’s retirement would lead to one vacancy from Himachal Pradesh. Three seats from Kerala would be vacated due to the retirement of A.K. Antony, M.V. Shreyams Kumar and Somaprasad K. One seat each in Nagaland and Tripura would be vacated upon retirement of K.G. Kenye and Jharna Das Baidya respectively. According to the EC’s schedule, polling would be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the counting of votes would begin at 5 p.m. on March 31. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 4,29,67,315 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 5,15,155 Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 07 MARCH 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( PM Modi speaks to Putin; seeks safe and speedy evacuation of Indians from Ukraine Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday [spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin]( over phone, where Modi urged his Russian counterpart to hold direct talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, in addition to the ongoing negotiations between their teams. [NEW DELHI, 06/12/2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. File] According to government sources, the phone call lasted for about 50 minutes. The two leaders discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine. President Putin briefed Modi on the status of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams. Prime Minister Modi appreciated the announcement of a ceasefire and establishment of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine, including Sumy. Modi stressed the importance of safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Sumy at the earliest. President Putin assured Modi of all possible cooperation in their safe evacuation. Modi also had a phone conversation with Zelensky, where he said India supported a direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. Modi thanked President Zelensky for facilitating evacuation of the stranded Indian students. Meanwhile, Russian news agencies reported on Monday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba plan to meet on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in the Turkish resort of Antalya on March 10. Indian envoy Mukul Arya passes away, Palestinian Authority “closely monitoring” cause of death Mukul Arya, India’s representative at the Palestinian city of Ramallah, [has passed away]( External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Sunday, condoling the death of the young diplomat who had taken charge as India’s envoy to Ramallah last year. “Deeply shocked to learn about the passing away of India’s Representative at Ramallah, Shri Mukul Arya. He was a bright and talented officer with so much before him. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones,” said Jaishankar. Palestine has expressed “astonishment” at the sudden demise of the Indian Representative to Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. “Dr. Riyad Al-Maliki extends his heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy to his counterpart Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India, Subrahmaniam Jaishankar, and through him to the friendly Indian government, the family of Ambassador Arya and his relatives,” stated a press release from the Palestinian Embassy here. The press statement declared that Palestinian authorities are investigating the incident. “As soon as the painful news arrived, immediate instructions were issued from President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, to all the security, police and public authorities, in addition to the Ministry of Health and Forensic Medicine, to immediately move to the place of residence of the Indian ambassador, to closely monitor the case of death,” the press release said. Arya, a 2008 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, was well regarded as an upcoming young diplomat and had previously served in Indian missions in Afghanistan and Russia. He also served at the Permanent Delegation of India to the UNESCO in Paris. NSE ex-MD Chitra Ramkrishna sent to seven-day CBI custody in co-location scam case A Delhi court Monday [granted the CBI seven-day custodial interrogation]( of former managing director and chief executive officer of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna in NSE co-location scam case. Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal passed the order after hearing arguments from CBI and the counsel appearing for accused. The probe agency had sought her 14-day custodial interrogation. [New Delhi: Former CEO of National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna leaves from Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, in New Delhi, Monday, March 7, 2022. ] The CBI arrested the accused on Sunday after her anticipatory bail application was dismissed by the court on Saturday. In its application before the court, the CBI alleged that the electronic devices recovered are being analysed and would be used for conducting further examination of Ramakrishna. It alleged that she was evasive and has continuously misguided the Investigation Officer and gave wrong statements. The CBI alleged that her custodial interrogation was needed to unearth the criminal conspiracy and the role of other NSE officials and brokers in the company. “She is also required to be confronted with co-accused Anand Subramanian, who is already in police custody of CBI, to understand the magnitude and scope of the criminal conspiracy. She is also required to be confronted with digital evidence available on record,” the agency told the court. The CBI further submitted that the material already collected in the present case show that Ramkrishna in conspiracy with Subramanian had improperly hired him by coercing the Human Resources (HR) department of the NSE. “Thereafter, she in conspiracy with Subramanian influenced the officials of NSE to facilitate him in having access to important decision-making processes of the NSE. During the same period M/s OPG Securities was gaining undue advantages in NSE by logging into secondary server,” it said. The CBI said that during Ramkrishna’s tenure as Joint MD, NSE, the co-location was conceptualised and implemented. Ramkrishna was appointed as MD and CEO of the NSE on April 1, 2013. “Investigation has revealed that during the period 2013-16 after accused Chitra Ramakrishna took over as MD & CEO of NSE, OPG Securities Pvt Ltd was allowed to connect to secondary server of the COLO-TBT Dissemination server for over 300 trading days causing it undue gain,” it said. It is further submitted that OPG Securities Pvt Ltd was warned repeatedly in 2012 that accessing the secondary server is a violation of the rules/guidelines of the NSE, it said. “NSE however stopped issuing such warnings to OPG Securities without any justifiable reasons during 2013 when Ramkrishna was MD & CEO of NSE. Investigation has also revealed that Muralidharan Natarajan, the CTO of NSETECH (a subsidiary of NSE), was responsible for putting in place the co-location architecture at NSE. He was reporting to Ramakrishna,” the agency told the court. It further alleged that Ramkrishna had shared internal confidential information of the NSE including its Organisational Structure, Dividend scenario, Financial Results, Human Resources Policy and related Issues, Response to Regulator, Future projects etc. to an e-mail ID during the period 2013 to 2016. ‘Setbacks’ in India-China relations do not suit both countries, says Wang Yi Recent “setbacks” in India-China ties do not serve the interests of both countries, [Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said]( on Monday, calling on ties “to move forward on the right track”. Speaking to reporters at his annual press conference on the sidelines of the on–going session of the National People’s Congress or Parliament in Beijing, Wang said both sides should not let boundary issues ‘interfere’ with the rest of the relationship. “The boundary question is left over from history,” he said. “China has long advocated managing differences through equal–footed consultations, actively seeking a fair and equitable settlement while not letting it affect or interfere with the bigger picture of bilateral cooperation. I am talking about issues relating to the boundary and territory. I think people should understand this.” Wang acknowledged that “relations encountered setbacks in recent years, which do not serve the fundamental interest of the two countries and people” and called for “relations to move forward on the right track to bring more benefits to our peoples and make greater contribution to the region and the world”. The Chinese Foreign Minister said “some forces have always sought to stoke tensions between China and India and divisions between regions. “Their attempts have put more and more people in reflection and on alert,” he said. “More people have come to realise that for China and India, both major countries with over 1 billion populations, only by staying independent can we firmly grasp our own destiny and realise our goals of rejuvenation and development.” Wang appeared to be referring to the U.S., which he blamed on Monday for creating ‘blocs’ in the region. Many Chinese analysts have pointed the finger at Washington for fomenting tension between China and its neighbours. Indian officials have underlined that the cause of the tensions was China’s mobilisation of troops in April 2020 and multiple transgressions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). They have also said peace on the border is a ‘prerequisite’ for cooperation in other areas and that China has not yet offered an explanation for its moves. Surveys don’t matter, we’ll get over 300 seats: Akhilesh Yadav  Dismissing pre-poll surveys that showed that the BJP had the edge in Uttar Pradesh elections, [Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on March 7]( claimed that the ruling party will be wiped out from the State when the results are declared on March 10. “Let them show whatever they have got. We are winning with a majority,” he said, dismissing predictions earlier on some TV channels. Yadav spoke to PTI before the exit polls were scheduled to come up with their predictions on Monday evening, at the end of the final round of polling for the State Assembly. He claimed that the SP-led alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh with over 300 seats. [Mirzapur: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav during an election campaign rally] The SP chief slammed the ruling BJP for presenting “lies and fake data” during the campaign, and said people had realised this and instead voted for their future — against inflation and unemployment and for growth. At the receiving end of the BJP attack on “pariwarvad” throughout the polls, Yadav hit back, claiming that the maximum cases of dynastic politics are found in the ruling party. “After the seventh and final phase of polling, the BJP will be wiped off from the State. The SP alliance is forming a majority government after March 10 with over 300 seats,” Yadav told PTI at his party’s State headquarter in Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh has a 403-member House. Results of the U.P. polls would come out on March 10, along with those from Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. Asked how the 2022 elections were different for him as he was the only face of the party and led the SP campaign, Yadav said, “The elections were fought by the party and its cadre. I was there with them. We were prepared in advance. We held training camps, took out rath yatras, response to which was tremendous. It rejuvenated the party cadre and enthused party workers, who wholeheartedly worked to ensure victory. This will be a victory of the voters,” he said. The SP supremo held over 120 public meetings across the State to drum up support for his party as well as for the alliance partners. About the BJP, he said, “The party forgot the dignity and decency of democracy. It did not value the votes it got (in 2017, 2019). It used bulldozers, used abuses against students and got them lathi-charged. It was all against the common man.” On charges of “pariwarvad”, or dynastic politics, levelled against him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders during the campaign, he claimed, “The BJP is the party where there is maximum ‘pariwarvad’”. He claimed that had Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s uncle not been a part of the Gorakhnath ‘math’, he wouldn’t have had the chance to be there and also get into politics. He mentioned Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia as an example of a member of a political dynasty. He also indirectly referred to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, whose children joined politics. Attacking Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said, “His son is in the cricket board (BCCI). What qualifications does he have?” Yadav alleged that the BJP leaders lied to people on inflation, unemployment and issues related to traders and farmers, who he said laid down their lives while protesting against the agri laws. Supreme Court tells T.N. police to probe with ‘zeal’ 2011 murder of Chennai lawyer’s son The [Supreme Court on Monday]( asked the Tamil Nadu police to investigate with “zeal” and “alacrity” the 2011 murder of a Chennai-based human rights lawyer’s son. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant said the case was one of murder, that too, of the son of a lawyer who had been filing human rights cases against the police. The lawyers’ community in the State was concerned about the status of the case. The court was equally concerned about uncovering the truth behind the crime. The court assured the lawyer, R. Sankarasubbu, that since it was now seized of the case, the police would take up the investigation as a challenge. Sankarasubbu’s 24-year-old son S. Sathish Kumar, a law graduate, died in June 2011. The son’s death had caused a furore, especially among lawyers. However, the court also seemed to indicate that the police would need reasonable time to complete its probe of the case, which was already over a decade old. The court noted that a status report currently filed by the CB-CID (Metro) of the State police, which is probing the case, has not said much. The Bench directed the State police, represented by advocate Joseph S. Aristotle, to file an updated status report. It listed the case again in the second week of May. On the request made by Sankarasubbu’s lawyers, senior advocate R. Basant and advocate Rahul Shyam Bhandari, the Bench directed the DIG of the local range to monitor the probe and affix his signature to the status report to be filed in the court. The investigation of the case has in the past years seen a rollercoaster train of developments. The case was initially probed by the State police and then handed over to the CBI in 2012. The CBI had filed a report, concluding that the case was one of suicide. The Madras High Court subsequently set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by former CBI Director R.K. Raghavan. The SIT, after inquiring into the death, had filed a report with the finding that the young man was actually murdered. However, the SIT could not zero in on the persons involved in the alleged murder. The High Court, on the basis of the SIT report, finally handed over the case to the CB-CID on February 4 last year. Sankarasubbu, early in 2022, moved the top court, alleging that the CB-CID had not filed a single report since February 2021 even though the High Court had directed it to file quarterly status reports before it. Basant had submitted that the CB-CID was an arm of the State police and the family had serious suspicions whether the investigation would be fair. He had urged the court to have the SIT continue the investigation into the crime. Elections to 13 Rajya Sabha seats in 6 States on March 31 The Election Commission on Monday announced that [polls to 13 Rajya Sabha seats in six States]( would be held on March 31. The elections to these 13 seats would bring in a minor change in the political equation in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress could lose two seats in Assam and another one in Himachal Pradesh, bringing down its tally to 31 in the Upper House. This would be an all-time low for the party and could even threaten its status as the lead opposition party in the Rajya Sabha. The fate of five Rajya Sabha seats from Punjab would be decided based on the Punjab Assembly election results on March 10. Out of these five seats, currently two are with the Congress (Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo), two with the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sukhdev Singh and Naresh Gujral) and one with the BJP (Shwait Malik). The BJP’s presence in Punjab is expected to shrink in the 2022 Assembly polls, making it difficult for it to retain the Rajya Sabha seat. The seats in question would be vacated due to the retirement of the members on April 2 and April 9. In Assam, two seats would go to polls due to the retirement of the members, Ranee Narah and Ripun Bora. Congress MP Anand Sharma’s retirement would lead to one vacancy from Himachal Pradesh. Three seats from Kerala would be vacated due to the retirement of A.K. Antony, M.V. Shreyams Kumar and Somaprasad K. One seat each in Nagaland and Tripura would be vacated upon retirement of K.G. Kenye and Jharna Das Baidya respectively. According to the EC’s schedule, polling would be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the counting of votes would begin at 5 p.m. on March 31. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 4,29,67,315 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 5,15,155  Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today‘s Top Picks [[Talking Politics with Nistula Hebbar | What do voting percentages mean?] Talking Politics with Nistula Hebbar | What do voting percentages mean?]( [[Indian student Harjot Singh who was shot in Kyiv arrives in Delhi on IAF flight] Indian student Harjot Singh who was shot in Kyiv arrives in Delhi on IAF flight]( [[Howzat! Prison staff and inmates in Bengaluru pad up for a game of cricket] Howzat! Prison staff and inmates in Bengaluru pad up for a game of cricket]( [[Ukraine crisis | A Tamil Nadu medico’s arduous journey back home] Ukraine crisis | A Tamil Nadu medico’s arduous journey back home]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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