The Evening Wrap: Delhi CM Kejriwal skips ED summons, demands withdrawal of notice

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on November 2 did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in an excise policy-linked case and wrote to the agency demanding withdrawal of the notice summoning him, claiming it was “illegal and politically motivated”. According to official sources, the ED is now expected to issue fresh summons to him. Earlier in the day, an AAP source said Kejriwal will go to Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli where he will take part in a roadshow along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The Delhi Chief Minister’s Office said that in the reply to the probe agency’s notice, Kejriwal alleged the summons was “illegal, politically motivated” and aimed at preventing him from campaigning in the poll-bound states. It was also “vague, motivated and unsustainable in law”, Kejriwal has alleged while claiming the notice was sent to him for extraneous considerations at the behest of the BJP. The Delhi Chief Minister questioned in what capacity was he called for questioning by the probe agency. “The said summons is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect.” He also said that the notice failed to provide details or reasons for him being called for questioning and termed it a “fishing and roving” exercise by the Enforcement Directorate. “The said summons does not specify whether I am being summoned as an individual or in my official capacity as Chief Minister of Delhi or as national convenor of AAP,” Kejriwal said. The Chief Minister also claimed that the notice appeared to be motivated. “Simultaneous to the summons, in the afternoon of 30.10.2023, BJP leaders started making statements that soon I would be summoned and arrested. By the evening of that day, I received your summons. “It is thus apparent that the said summons was leaked to select BJP leaders to malign my image and reputation and has been issued at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre,” Kejriwal charged. He claimed that BJP MP Manoj Tiwari had “openly” said on the afternoon of October 30 — the day the summons was issued to Kejriwal — that the Chief Minister would be arrested. Kejriwal said he is the Chief Minister of Delhi as well as the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and is required to travel as a “star campaigner” of his party to Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana where Assembly polls are to be held this month. Also, he stated his official commitments as Chief Minister of Delhi for which his presence was required, particularly in view of the Diwali festival in the second week of November, and asked the ED to recall its summons to him. ED sources indicated that a fresh date for summoning Kejriwal could be issued for a closer date as the Supreme Court has recently taken note of the prosecution’s assurance that the trial in the case will be concluded within the next 6-8 months. The Central agency had summoned Kejriwal for questioning in the alleged Delhi excise policy case and to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Kejriwal’s party colleagues Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in this case. The AAP had alleged that Kejriwal would be the first to be arrested as part of the BJP’s plan to target stop INDIA alliance leaders ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the ED summons were an attempt to finish the party that is in power in Delhi and Punjab. It is alleged that the Delhi Government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA. Cash-for-query row | Mahua Moitra, Opposition MPs walk out of Parliamentary Ethics panel meeting A meeting of the Parliamentary Ethics Committee, called to hear Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra’s defense against the cash-for-query charges levelled against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, ended on a chaotic note on November 2. The Trinamool MP and other Opposition leaders stormed out of the meeting, accusing panel chairman and BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar of asking “undignified” questions about Moitra’s personal life. According to sources, the Opposition MPs were enraged by Sonkar’s repeated questions about Moitra’s relationship with industrialist Darshan Hiranandani. When Sonkar refused to accept the Opposition members’ suggestion to adjourn and reconvene the meeting at a later date, they demanded a vote. With five opposition MPs and five BJP MPs in attendance, the deciding vote to continue the meeting was cast by Sonkar. At that point, Moitra and the Opposition MPs on the panel — Uttam Kumar Reddy and V. Vaithilingam of the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party’s Danish Ali, P.R. Natarajan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Giridhari Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) — walked out of the meeting. The opposition MPs will lodge a complaint with Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, sources said, objecting to Sonkar’s conduct. The panel chair, however, blamed Moitra. “The committee’s agenda was to probe TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s alleged unethical conduct. Instead of cooperating, Ms. Moitra, in a fit of anger, used abusive language against the committee,” Sonkar told journalists. “The Opposition MPs supported her and also levelled allegations against me. They walked out of the panel’s meeting to escape answering questions on Darshan Hiranandani’s allegations,” he added. When the committee met at 11 a.m., it first discussed the reports furnished by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Information Technology on the episode. The Opposition MPs pointed out that the online system of submitting questions and notices was started only in 2019, noting that there are no rules restricting the use of the system log-in to MPs only. “It is a regular practice that the log-in and password is often used by the MP’s staff or family members who are assisting them. Sometimes the MP’s password is [shared] with up to three persons, which means that, for 700 odd MPs, about 2,100 peoples are using this platform. How can we now hold one MP guilty in the name of national security?” one of the Opposition MPs asked during the meeting. The opposition MPs also pointed out that no money trail had been established either in Dubey’s complaint or the suo-motto affidavit filed by Hiranandani. Moitra was called in at 11:30 a.m. She pled not guilty, and was allowed to tell her side of the story. She spoke at length about her former partner Jai Anant Dehradai and repeated the details which she has presented in recent media interviews. She conceded that she had shared her log-in details with Hiranandani, but denied that there had been any quid pro quo, insisting that she did not get any cash from him. The deliberations took a turn for the worse when the Opposition members felt the chairman was asking “very personal questions” to Moitra, and are learnt to have told him repeatedly that the questions were “undignified and demeaning to the lady MP” and that he should refrain from doing so, according to sources. They also said that his line of questioning was inappropriate and not relevant to the case. Dubey, the BJP MP who filed the complaint, accused her of trying to set a wrong narrative. He claimed that she has violated a host of rules, including publicly sharing the details of confidential Parliamentary panel proceedings. “She couldn’t handle the fact that a Dalit was a chairperson of the Ethics committee,” he said. Supreme Court reserves verdict in the challenge to the electoral bonds scheme A Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud on November 2 reserved its judgment on petitions challenging the validity of the electoral bonds scheme. The proceedings spanning over a period of three days focused on arguments pertaining to the voters’ right to information vis-a-vis the right to confidentiality of donors. The bench also directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to submit within two weeks information on the receipt of electoral bonds by political parties till September 30. The details are to be provided in a sealed cover. “We will not ask the SBI (State Bank of India) to reveal the identity of donors at this stage. That nobody is interested in at the present stage but we would like to know the quantum”, the Chief Justice clarified. During the proceedings, the court also expressed displeasure at the ECI for not having updated data on donations in adherence with its interim order passed on April 12, 2019. It was pointed out that the Commission was under an obligation to continue collecting the data. Earlier, the bench had flagged how the ‘selective anonymity’ of the scheme makes it easier for the ruling party to obtain information about the donors of the Opposition parties qua law enforcement agencies. It was also highlighted that the scheme in its attempt to bring white money into the political funding process is creating a ‘complete information blackhole’. Kerala Government moves Supreme Court against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over pending Bills The Kerala Government has sought a declaration from the Supreme Court that Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has “failed to exercise his Constitutional powers and duties” in holding the Bills passed by the State Legislature for a long and indefinite period Kerala raised the demand in a special leave petition moved before the Supreme Court on November 2, 2023. T.P. Ramakrishnan, MLA, too filed a petition before the apex court on the issue. The Kerala Government argued that the Governor subverted the Constitution and acted in a manifestly arbitrary manner by keeping the Bills passed by the State Legislature for an indefinite period. It also sought to get a declaration from the apex court that the Governor was bound to dispose of every Bill presented to him within a reasonable time. The Governor shall also be directed to dispose of the pending Bills without any further delay, the State submitted. The Hindu had earlier reported that the Kerala Government and a CPI(M) legislator would together take the Governor to the top court on the issue of pending Bills. Of the eight Bills passed by the Legislature, three were pending with the Governor for more than two years, and three others for more than one year. The conduct of the Governor threatened to defeat and subvert the very fundamentals and basic foundations of the Constitution, including the rule of law and democratic good governance, Kerala argued in the petition. It further pointed out that the Kerala Private Forest (Vesting and Assignment) Bill, 2023, which was presented to the Governor on April 6, 2023, was disposed of by him on September 18, which indicated that the non-disposal of the earlier Bills was a conscious act. The Governor, who failed to exercise the Constitutional provisions regarding the Bills presented to him and as mentioned in Article 200, appeared to be of the view that granting assent or otherwise dealing with Bills was a matter entrusted to him in his absolute discretion, to decide whenever he pleases, the State submitted. A Governor who acts in gross disregard and violation of the provisions of the Constitution cannot be said to be functioning in the discharge of his duties as a Governor, pointed out the Kerala Government in the petition. The secretary to the Governor and the Union of India were also made parties to the petition. Vladimir Putin signs bill revoking Russia’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban treaty President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a bill revoking Russia’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban, a move that Moscow said was needed to establish parity with the United States. Putin has said that rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT, would “mirror” the stand taken by the U.S., which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban. Both houses of the Russian parliament voted last month to revoke Moscow’s ratification of the bill. The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. In addition to the U.S., it has yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, and Egypt. There are widespread concerns that Russia may resume nuclear tests to try to discourage the West from continuing to offer military support to Ukraine. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of a resumption of the tests. Putin has noted that some experts argue for the necessity of conducting nuclear tests but said he had not formed an opinion on the issue. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last month that Moscow would continue to respect the ban and will only resume nuclear tests if Washington does first. Land acquisition case: Sub-divisional magistrate suspended for summoning Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel A sub-divisional magistrate (judicial), who had summoned the Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel in a land acquisition-related case and his staff member have been suspended by the State government, officials said on November 2. District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said SDM Vineet Kumar was suspended on November 1 for gross negligence. The SDM’s ‘peshkar’ (staff member who presents files to the officer) has also been suspended. The summons was issued last month, prompting the Governor’s office to cite the constitutional immunity she enjoys against such action. The matter is related to a land-related petition filed by Chandrahas, a resident of Loda Baheri village in the SDM court, making another person and the Governor parties. Chandrahas alleged that a relative got the property of his aunt Katori Devi registered in his name and the land was later sold and subsequently acquired by the government by giving a compensation of ₹12 lakh. Hearing the petition, SDM (Judicial) Kumar had issued summons in the name of the person who had bought the land and also to Governor Anandiben Patel on October 7 under Section 144 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, and asked her or her representative to appear on October 18, the officer added. When the letter reached the Governor’s house on October 10, the Special Secretary to the Governor Badrinath Singh wrote a letter to the DM and asked that the SDM be told that issuing a summon or a notice to the Governor is a violation of Article 361 (The President or the Governor is not answerable to any court for the exercise of the powers and duties of his office) of the Constitution. The DM was also directed to probe the matter and submit his report to the government. In Brief: Bhutan King Wangchuck to begin eight-day India visit on November 3 Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will begin a eight-day visit to India on November 3, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said the visit would provide an opportunity to both sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and further advance the “exemplary” partnership. The King of Bhutan will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is expected to deliberate on various aspects of close India-Bhutan ties. ED raids Delhi Minister Raaj Kumar Anand in money laundering probe The Enforcement Directorate on November 2 raided the premises of Delhi Cabinet Minister and AAP leader Raaj Kumar Anand and some others as part of a money laundering probe, official sources said. A dozen premises linked to the Minister, including one in the Civil Lines area of the national capital, were being searched since 7:30 a.m., they said. The ED teams are escorted by a team of the CRPF. The investigation stems from a charge sheet filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on charges of false declarations in imports for customs evasion of more than ₹7 crore apart from international hawala transactions, the sources said. Delhi court sends NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head Amit Chakravarty to jail till December 1 A Delhi court on November 2 sent NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and its HR department head Amit Chakravarty to judicial custody till December 1 in a case lodged under the UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread pro-China propaganda. Special Judge Hardeep Kaur sent both the accused to jail after they were produced before the court on expiry of their custodial interrogation by Delhi Police. The court had granted the city police their remand for a second time on October 25 setting aside their counsel Arshdeep Singh Khurana’s contention that no new ground for it was mentioned in the application. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 02 November 2023 [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]( Kejriwal skips ED summons, demands withdrawal of ‘illegal, politically motivated’ notice [Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on November 2 did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in an excise policy-linked case and wrote to the agency demanding withdrawal of the notice summoning him]( claiming it was “illegal and politically motivated”. According to official sources, the ED is now expected to issue fresh summons to him. Earlier in the day, an AAP source said Kejriwal will go to Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli where he will take part in a roadshow along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The Delhi Chief Minister’s Office said that in the reply to the probe agency’s notice, Kejriwal alleged the summons was “illegal, politically motivated” and aimed at preventing him from campaigning in the poll-bound states. It was also “vague, motivated and unsustainable in law”, Kejriwal has alleged while claiming the notice was sent to him for extraneous considerations at the behest of the BJP. The Delhi Chief Minister questioned in what capacity was he called for questioning by the probe agency. “The said summons is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect.” He also said that the notice failed to provide details or reasons for him being called for questioning and termed it a “fishing and roving” exercise by the Enforcement Directorate. “The said summons does not specify whether I am being summoned as an individual or in my official capacity as Chief Minister of Delhi or as national convenor of AAP,” Kejriwal said. The Chief Minister also claimed that the notice appeared to be motivated. “Simultaneous to the summons, in the afternoon of 30.10.2023, BJP leaders started making statements that soon I would be summoned and arrested. By the evening of that day, I received your summons. “It is thus apparent that the said summons was leaked to select BJP leaders to malign my image and reputation and has been issued at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre,” Kejriwal charged. He claimed that BJP MP Manoj Tiwari had “openly” said on the afternoon of October 30 — the day the summons was issued to Kejriwal — that the Chief Minister would be arrested. Kejriwal said he is the Chief Minister of Delhi as well as the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and is required to travel as a “star campaigner” of his party to Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana where Assembly polls are to be held this month. Also, he stated his official commitments as Chief Minister of Delhi for which his presence was required, particularly in view of the Diwali festival in the second week of November, and asked the ED to recall its summons to him. ED sources indicated that a fresh date for summoning Kejriwal could be issued for a closer date as the Supreme Court has recently taken note of the prosecution’s assurance that the trial in the case will be concluded within the next 6-8 months. The Central agency had summoned Kejriwal for questioning in the alleged Delhi excise policy case and to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Kejriwal’s party colleagues Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in this case. The AAP had alleged that Kejriwal would be the first to be arrested as part of the BJP’s plan to target stop INDIA alliance leaders ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the ED summons were an attempt to finish the party that is in power in Delhi and Punjab. It is alleged that the Delhi Government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA. Cash-for-query row | Mahua Moitra, Opposition MPs walk out of Parliamentary Ethics panel meeting A meeting of the Parliamentary Ethics Committee, called to hear Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra’s defense against the cash-for-query charges levelled against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, ended on a chaotic note on November 2. [The Trinamool MP and other Opposition leaders stormed out of the meeting, accusing panel chairman and BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar of asking “undignified” questions about Moitra’s personal life.]( According to sources, the Opposition MPs were enraged by Sonkar’s repeated questions about Moitra’s relationship with industrialist Darshan Hiranandani. When Sonkar refused to accept the Opposition members’ suggestion to adjourn and reconvene the meeting at a later date, they demanded a vote. With five opposition MPs and five BJP MPs in attendance, the deciding vote to continue the meeting was cast by Sonkar. At that point, Moitra and the Opposition MPs on the panel — Uttam Kumar Reddy and V. Vaithilingam of the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party’s Danish Ali, P.R. Natarajan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Giridhari Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) — walked out of the meeting. The opposition MPs will lodge a complaint with Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, sources said, objecting to Sonkar’s conduct. The panel chair, however, blamed Moitra. “The committee’s agenda was to probe TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s alleged unethical conduct. Instead of cooperating, Ms. Moitra, in a fit of anger, used abusive language against the committee,” Sonkar told journalists. “The Opposition MPs supported her and also levelled allegations against me. They walked out of the panel’s meeting to escape answering questions on Darshan Hiranandani’s allegations,” he added. When the committee met at 11 a.m., it first discussed the reports furnished by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Information Technology on the episode. The Opposition MPs pointed out that the online system of submitting questions and notices was started only in 2019, noting that there are no rules restricting the use of the system log-in to MPs only. “It is a regular practice that the log-in and password is often used by the MP’s staff or family members who are assisting them. Sometimes the MP’s password is [shared] with up to three persons, which means that, for 700 odd MPs, about 2,100 peoples are using this platform. How can we now hold one MP guilty in the name of national security?” one of the Opposition MPs asked during the meeting. The opposition MPs also pointed out that no money trail had been established either in Dubey’s complaint or the suo-motto affidavit filed by Hiranandani. Moitra was called in at 11:30 a.m. She pled not guilty, and was allowed to tell her side of the story. She spoke at length about her former partner Jai Anant Dehradai and repeated the details which she has presented in recent media interviews. She conceded that she had shared her log-in details with Hiranandani, but denied that there had been any quid pro quo, insisting that she did not get any cash from him. The deliberations took a turn for the worse when the Opposition members felt the chairman was asking “very personal questions” to Moitra, and are learnt to have told him repeatedly that the questions were “undignified and demeaning to the lady MP” and that he should refrain from doing so, according to sources. They also said that his line of questioning was inappropriate and not relevant to the case. Dubey, the BJP MP who filed the complaint, accused her of trying to set a wrong narrative. He claimed that she has violated a host of rules, including publicly sharing the details of confidential Parliamentary panel proceedings. “She couldn’t handle the fact that a Dalit was a chairperson of the Ethics committee,” he said. Supreme Court reserves verdict in the challenge to the electoral bonds scheme [A Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud on November 2 reserved its judgment on petitions challenging the validity of the electoral bonds scheme](. The proceedings spanning over a period of three days focused on arguments pertaining to the voters’ right to information vis-a-vis the right to confidentiality of donors. The bench also directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to submit within two weeks information on the receipt of electoral bonds by political parties till September 30. The details are to be provided in a sealed cover. “We will not ask the SBI (State Bank of India) to reveal the identity of donors at this stage. That nobody is interested in at the present stage but we would like to know the quantum”, the Chief Justice clarified. During the proceedings, the court also expressed displeasure at the ECI for not having updated data on donations in adherence with its interim order passed on April 12, 2019. It was pointed out that the Commission was under an obligation to continue collecting the data. Earlier, the bench had flagged how the ‘selective anonymity’ of the scheme makes it easier for the ruling party to obtain information about the donors of the Opposition parties qua law enforcement agencies. It was also highlighted that the scheme in its attempt to bring white money into the political funding process is creating a ‘complete information blackhole’. Kerala Government moves Supreme Court against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over pending Bills [The Kerala Government has sought a declaration from the Supreme Court that Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has “failed to exercise his Constitutional powers and duties” in holding the Bills passed by the State Legislature for a long and indefinite period]( Kerala raised the demand in a special leave petition moved before the Supreme Court on November 2, 2023. T.P. Ramakrishnan, MLA, too filed a petition before the apex court on the issue. The Kerala Government argued that the Governor subverted the Constitution and acted in a manifestly arbitrary manner by keeping the Bills passed by the State Legislature for an indefinite period. It also sought to get a declaration from the apex court that the Governor was bound to dispose of every Bill presented to him within a reasonable time. The Governor shall also be directed to dispose of the pending Bills without any further delay, the State submitted. The Hindu had earlier reported that the Kerala Government and a CPI(M) legislator would together take the Governor to the top court on the issue of pending Bills. Of the eight Bills passed by the Legislature, three were pending with the Governor for more than two years, and three others for more than one year. The conduct of the Governor threatened to defeat and subvert the very fundamentals and basic foundations of the Constitution, including the rule of law and democratic good governance, Kerala argued in the petition. It further pointed out that the Kerala Private Forest (Vesting and Assignment) Bill, 2023, which was presented to the Governor on April 6, 2023, was disposed of by him on September 18, which indicated that the non-disposal of the earlier Bills was a conscious act. The Governor, who failed to exercise the Constitutional provisions regarding the Bills presented to him and as mentioned in Article 200, appeared to be of the view that granting assent or otherwise dealing with Bills was a matter entrusted to him in his absolute discretion, to decide whenever he pleases, the State submitted. A Governor who acts in gross disregard and violation of the provisions of the Constitution cannot be said to be functioning in the discharge of his duties as a Governor, pointed out the Kerala Government in the petition. The secretary to the Governor and the Union of India were also made parties to the petition. Vladimir Putin signs bill revoking Russia’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban treaty President [Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a bill revoking Russia’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban]( a move that Moscow said was needed to establish parity with the United States. Putin has said that rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT, would “mirror” the stand taken by the U.S., which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban. Both houses of the Russian parliament voted last month to revoke Moscow’s ratification of the bill. The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. In addition to the U.S., it has yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, and Egypt. There are widespread concerns that Russia may resume nuclear tests to try to discourage the West from continuing to offer military support to Ukraine. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of a resumption of the tests. Putin has noted that some experts argue for the necessity of conducting nuclear tests but said he had not formed an opinion on the issue. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last month that Moscow would continue to respect the ban and will only resume nuclear tests if Washington does first. Land acquisition case: Sub-divisional magistrate suspended for summoning Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel [A sub-divisional magistrate (judicial), who had summoned the Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel in a land acquisition-related case and his staff member have been suspended by the State government, officials said on November 2.]( District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said SDM Vineet Kumar was suspended on November 1 for gross negligence. The SDM’s ‘peshkar’ (staff member who presents files to the officer) has also been suspended. The summons was issued last month, prompting the Governor’s office to cite the constitutional immunity she enjoys against such action. The matter is related to a land-related petition filed by Chandrahas, a resident of Loda Baheri village in the SDM court, making another person and the Governor parties. Chandrahas alleged that a relative got the property of his aunt Katori Devi registered in his name and the land was later sold and subsequently acquired by the government by giving a compensation of ₹12 lakh. Hearing the petition, SDM (Judicial) Kumar had issued summons in the name of the person who had bought the land and also to Governor Anandiben Patel on October 7 under Section 144 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, and asked her or her representative to appear on October 18, the officer added. When the letter reached the Governor’s house on October 10, the Special Secretary to the Governor Badrinath Singh wrote a letter to the DM and asked that the SDM be told that issuing a summon or a notice to the Governor is a violation of Article 361 (The President or the Governor is not answerable to any court for the exercise of the powers and duties of his office) of the Constitution. The DM was also directed to probe the matter and submit his report to the government. In Brief: Bhutan King Wangchuck to begin eight-day India visit on November 3 [Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will begin a eight-day visit to India on November 3]( the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said the visit would provide an opportunity to both sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and further advance the “exemplary” partnership. The King of Bhutan will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is expected to deliberate on various aspects of close India-Bhutan ties. ED raids Delhi Minister Raaj Kumar Anand in money laundering probe [The Enforcement Directorate on November 2 raided the premises of Delhi Cabinet Minister and AAP leader Raaj Kumar Anand and some others as part of a money laundering probe]( official sources said. A dozen premises linked to the Minister, including one in the Civil Lines area of the national capital, were being searched since 7:30 a.m., they said. The ED teams are escorted by a team of the CRPF. The investigation stems from a charge sheet filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on charges of false declarations in imports for customs evasion of more than ₹7 crore apart from international hawala transactions, the sources said. Delhi court sends NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head Amit Chakravarty to jail till December 1 A Delhi court on November 2 sent [NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and its HR department head Amit Chakravarty to judicial custody till December 1]( in a case lodged under the UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread pro-China propaganda. Special Judge Hardeep Kaur sent both the accused to jail after they were produced before the court on expiry of their custodial interrogation by Delhi Police. The court had granted the city police their remand for a second time on October 25 setting aside their counsel Arshdeep Singh Khurana’s contention that no new ground for it was mentioned in the application. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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