02052023-TT-01.qxd 5/1/2023 11:00 PM 13 RAPE SUIT: TRUMP’S MISTRIAL APPEAL DECLINED WORLD /thetribunechd Page 1 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 143 NO. 120 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH tuesday | 2 may 2023 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com SC can dissolve marriage over its ‘irretrievable breakdown’ Says 6-month waiting period can be dropped for divorce by mutual consent Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 1 Noting that even two perfectly gentle and pleasant individuals having incompatible and clashing personalities can have a miserable and morose married life, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that it had powers to dissolve such a failed marriage on the ground of “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” even if one of the parties contested it. The judgment is significant as “irretrievable breakdown” of marriage is not a ground to seek divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act. When the marriage is irretrievably broken down and dead, “we would not read the provisions of the Hindu Mar- NOT A MATTER OF RIGHT Grant of divorce over irretrievable breakdown of marriage by this court is not a matter of right, but a discretion to be exercised with great caution, keeping in mind ‘complete justice’ to both parties. 5-Judge Bench ❝ PARTIES CAN’T DIRECTLY MOVE SC OR HC ■ Top court made it clear that contesting parties cannot directly move the top court or high courts to seek dissolution of marriage on the ground of irretrievable breakdown by filing a writ petition under Article 32 or Article 226 of the Constitution riage Act, their underlying intent, and any fundamental specific issue of public policy, as barring this court from dissolving a broken and shattered continued on page 9 Review of sedition law at advanced stage: Centre to SC New Delhi, May 1 The Supreme Court on Monday deferred to August hearing on petitions challenging the colonial-era law on sedition under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code after the Centre said it was at an advanced stage of consultation on review of the controversial provision. Attorney General R Venkataramani told a Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud that the Centre had initiated the process to re-examine the law on sedition and said the consultation process was at the advanced stage. INSIDE India, ASEAN plan joint April GST collection hits drills in South China Sea all-time high of ~1.87L cr Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 1 The inaugural ASEAN India Maritime Exercise (AIME2023) will commence tomorrow in Singapore with its sea phase scheduled to be conducted in the South China Sea. Indian Navy warships INS Satpura and INS Delhi will participate in the weeklong programme, which will include a two-day sea phase in the South China Sea. The harbour phase of the exercise will be held at Changi Naval Base, Singapore. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. Four of these — Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia — are locked in dispute with China over demarcation of maritime territorial limits in the South China Sea. Taiwan is the sixth country that is party to the dispute. China has refused to accept the ICJ verdict which has laid down maritime territorial limits for these countries. — TNS 14 mobile apps blocked in J&K over terror links Few vents, sewerage design ‘outdated’, industry blames MC, PPCB for deaths New Delhi, May 1 The Centre has blocked 14 messenger mobile applications that were largely used in Jammu and Kashmir for terror-related activities, a decision taken by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology following intelligence inputs. These mobile applications were being used by terrorists in Kashmir to communicate among themselves and with their supporters and overground workers (OGWs), said sources. The 14 applications are Crypviser, Enigma, Safeswiss, Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second line, Zangi and Threema. The apps have been blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. “Intelligence and security agencies keep tracking channels used by over-ground workers and terrorists to continued on page 9 Sanjeev Singh Bariana TAKING ON BEIJING Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia are locked in a long-running dispute with China over maritime claims in region An Indian warship ahead of maritime drill in Singapore. New Delhi, May 1 The gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in April touched an all-time monthly high of Rs 1.87 lakh crore, rising by 12 per cent compared to about Rs 1.68 lakh crore (the previous highest) in April 2022, showed data released by the Finance Ministry on Monday. The revenue stood at Rs 1.60 lakh crore in March and Rs 1.49 lakh crore in February. In April, the revenue from domestic transactions, including import of services, was 16 per cent higher than the revenue from these sources during the same month last year. “For the first time, gross GST collection has crossed the Rs 1.75 lakh crore-mark. The total number of e-way bills generated in March 2023 was 9 crore, Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 1 Even as the findings of a magisterial inquiry ordered into the death of 11 persons in Giaspura locality of Ludhiana is awaited, there is no denying the fact that the sewerage system in Punjab’s congested industrial city lacks sufficient vents to release toxic gases. Sewage samples being collected in Giaspura locality of Ludhiana. The 11 persons, including three children, had died on Sunday allegedly after IN BRIEF Afzal Ansari disqualified from Lok Sabha NEW DELHI: BSP MP Afzal Ansari was disqualified from the Lok Sab- ha after being sentenced in a kidnapping-cum-murder case. TNS Air Force chief on four-day visit to Sri Lanka NEW DELHI: Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Monday embarked on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka to strengthen defence ties. PTI AAP’s Gujarat chief booked over tweet on PM AHMEDABAD: AAP’s Gujarat chief Isudan Gadhvi has been booked for his ‘~830 cr spent on PM Modi’s Mann ki Baat so far’ tweet. PTI Switching school in Haryana? Justify it Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, May 1 Students in Haryana aspiring to switch school after completing Class 9 or 11 will have to give reasons to justify their decision, which include qualification and SCHOOL BOARD’S BIZARRE NORMS Students seeking admission in Class 10 or 12 have been told to submit papers on qualification of teachers of both old and new schools and result of five years of both schools experience of teachers of both the old and new school and board results of the past five years of both schools. A circular in this regard was continued on page 9 NSA IN IRAN: MUST JOINTLY UPROOT TERROR BACK PAGE FOR 1ST TIME, HARYANA CROSSES ~10K CR-MARK 2023 (in ~ cr) State/UT April Punjab HP Haryana Chd Delhi J&K Ladakh 2022 March Feb 2,613 1,735 957 739 10,035 7,780 255 202 6,320 4,840 803 477 68 23 April 1,651 691 7,310 188 4,769 434 — 1,994 817 8,197 249 5,871 560 47 COMMERCIAL LPG RATES SLASHED ■ Commercial LPG price cut by ~171.5, to cost ~1,856.5 per cylinder in Delhi ■ Manufacturing activity rises to 4-month high in April on growing order book which was 11 per cent higher than 8.1 crore e-way bills continued on page 9 inhaling poisonous gas. Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) officials today checked what led to the build-up of hydrogen sulphide in the sewer lines, which might have led to the tragedy. They also said the poisonous gas was no longer being detected in the air. Industrialists said it was continued on page 9 edit: Giaspura tragedy Himachal sets up task force to curb illegal mining Shimla, May 1 The Himachal Pradesh Government has set up a special task force (STF) to keep tabs on illegal mining and review the action taken by member departments at different levels. The government, in a statement, said illegal mining of sand, gravel and boulders without the payment of royalty or taxes not only resulted in environmental degradation but also caused huge loss to the state exchequer. “The government is trying to increase revenue through scientific mining. To prevent the evasion of royalty and for simplification of ‘Form W/X’, the same will be linked with m-parivahan portal. Related continued on page 9 c m y b