Gujarat Riots

Khemka, Additional Chief Secretary in the Science and Technology Department, has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Archives Department. The 1991-batch IAS officer's transfer comes days after he wrote to Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, saying he did not have enough work with the merger of his Science and Technology Department into the Higher Education Department.

An office memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said: "Shah Faesal, IAS (AGMUT: 2010), who was recommended for Central deputation by the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been selected for appointment as Deputy Secretary in the Minstry of Culture, Delhi under the Central Staffing Scheme for a period of four years from the date of taking over.

A bench headed by Justice U.U. Lalit agreed to examine Setalvad's bail plea and scheduled the case for further hearing on Thursday. Setalvad was represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Aparna Bhat in the apex court. "Considering facts and circumstances, let the notice be returnable on Thursday... Liberty to serve standing counsel for the state," said the top court.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising justices J.K. Maheshwari and Hima Kohli said: "Upon being mentioned by Aparna Bhat, Advocate on Record for the petitioner seeking urgent listing of the matter, the registry is directed to list the matter on August 22 before a bench presided over by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit." Earlier this month, the Gujarat High Court had issued a notice to the SIT seeking a reply to the bail applications filed by Setalvad and former Gujarat DGP R.B. Sreekumar. The high court is scheduled to hear the matter in September.

The SIT on Monday while opposing Sreekumar's bail application said, "The applicant (Sreekumar) was a party to conspiracy and was also involved himself in tutoring witnesses. A witness has stated before the Nanavati Commission that I am saying what Teesta and Sreekumar told us to say."

Without naming Congress' late leader Ahmed Patel, Sareshwala said, "Congress party's big leader from Gujarat, who was considered to be the most powerful in the country was backing Teesta and he worked in Gujarat. The said leader never worked for the betterment of Muslims, forget the riot victims." Sareshwala also alleged that the Congress never helped Muslims.

The Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday issued show-cause notice to senior IAS officer Niyaz Khan, whose comments on 'The Kashmir Files' resulted in a big controversy in the state. Khan, a 2015 batch IAS officer serving as deputy secretary with the Public Works Department, had last week urged makers of 'The Kashmir Files' to also make a film on the killings of large numbers of Muslims across several states in India.