 "FirstUp: SC to hear Kejriwal’s arrest plea, Trump’s hush money trial to begin… The news today")
It’s a brand new week and there’s some very big news coming your way.
Today (15 April), the Supreme Court will hear Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against the High Court’s decision to uphold his arrest in the excise policy case.
The India Meteorological Department has also predicted a fresh spell of heat wave conditions over isolated parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh for three days, beginning from Monday.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign for party candidates and address rallies of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala starting today whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli.
Across the pond, former US president Donald Trump will go on trial today for allegedly covering up hush money payments to hide affairs ahead of the 2016 presidential election which propelled him into the White House.
There’s also worries over a further escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel after the former launched an unprecedented attack of over 200 missiles and drones against the Jewish nation on Saturday.
SC to hear Kejriwal’s plea
The Supreme Court will hear Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against a high court order that has upheld his arrest in a money-laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will hear on 15 April Kejriwal’s petition challenging the Delhi High Court’s 9 April order.
Earlier, in a massive blow to the chief minister, the high court had upheld his arrest in the money-laundering case, saying the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on 21 March, hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. He is in judicial custody until 15 April and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
PM Modi to visit Tirunelveli
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Tirunelveli today to canvas for the BJP’s candidate for Tirunelveli parliamentary constituency Nainar Nagenthiran and other candidates of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), who have been fielded in the southern districts.
This will be his sixth visit to the southern state of Tamil Nadu since the beginning of 2024 and the second since the Lok Sabha poll dates were announced. Earlier, Modi went on a road show in Coimbatore, and paid homage to the victims of the 1998 bomb blasts.
Rahul Gandhi to campaign in Kerala
Rahul Gandhi will campaign for party candidates and address rallies of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala today. He will arrive in Kerala on 15 April and will address a UDF rally in northern Kozhikode district on Monday evening.
Gandhi would also take part in several programmes in Wayanad constituency on 15 and 16 April, Joseph Vazhackan, the coordinator of the programmes, said.
On 18 April, the leader would take part in meetings in Kannur, Palakkad and Kottayam constituencies.
IMD’s heatwave warning
India’s official weatherman, the IMD, has predicted a three-day heatwave over isolated parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, beginning today. The weather department said that the temperature is expected to cross 42 degrees Celsius.
Rayalaseema region will experience hot, humid and uncomfortable weather from Monday.
The IMD predicted that heatwave conditions are most likely to prevail over Srikakulam, Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, ASR, Anakapalle, Kakinada and East Godavari districts from 15-17 April.
Donald Trump’s hush money trial to begin
Former US president Donald Trump will go on trial today in Manhattan for his alleged role in a hush money scheme to silence porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
He will become the first former US president to go on criminal trial as it begins today.
As Trump closed in on victory in the 2016 presidential election, adult film star Stormy Daniels was paid $130,000 (Rs 1.08 crore) to keep quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual tryst with Trump.
The payments, made by Trump’s lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, were revealed by The Wall Street Journal in Jan 2018.
Prosecutors have seized on concealment of the payments as “legal fees” in the Trump Organisation’s accounts when Cohen was reimbursed as the heart of their case.
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