On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stressed that the constitutional right to a speedy trial aims to protect undertrials from prolonged detention while also delivering prompt justice to victims and their families, voicing concern over the extended delays in criminal trials in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The court further noted that the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh could have stepped in sooner. (Photo from HT file). While hearing a case concerning delays in a murder trial, a court bench expressed that it was “extremely disappointed” to learn that as many as 351 sessions trials in the UT have been pending for over five years, involving a total of 585 accused persons. The court was especially disturbed that most of these cases—235 in total—remain stalled at the stage of recording oral evidence from prosecution witnesses, highlighting systemic delays in trial proceedings. The court stressed that the right to a speedy trial, derived from Article 21 of the Constitution, must not be interpreted narrowly as a protection solely for the accused. The primary objective of starting this initiative is to prevent undertrials from remaining in jail indefinitely. The victims deserve swift justice as well. We have often observed that justice must not only be served to the accused. The bench observed that justice must also be served to the victims as well as their families and loved ones. Also Read: Supreme Court orders strict timeline for acid attack trials. 

 Rajasthan’s Food Safety Department destroyed about 1.5 lakh kilograms of expired food products after cracking down on a local distribution company that purchased Amul-branded items just before their sell-by date and sold them by tampering with the packaging labels, reports stated on Tuesday. A team of medical and health officials raided a warehouse in Jaipur, seizing nearly 12,000 cartons of expired goods, according to reports. (Photo courtesy of HT File/Representative Image). The operation came after a complaint lodged through the state government’s 181 helpline about suspicious activities at M/s Athlete Distributor in the Kho Nagorian area, according to The Times of India. Principal Secretary for Health, Gayatri Rathore, stated that the complaint was lodged via the department’s helpline. A team under the leadership of the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Jaipur-II conducted a raid on the warehouse, seizing approximately 12,000 cartons of expired products such as noodles, ketchup, mayonnaise, and energy drinks. The warehouse was running under suspicious circumstances, as neighbors noted that after 10 to 12 workers entered, the main gate stayed closed all day, food safety commissioner T Shubhmangala reportedly stated. Investigators also discovered bottles of thinner, acetone, and other chemicals used to remove printed dates from about 3,000 cartons, reported The Indian Express. Authorities also discovered 4,500 fresh Amul-branded cartons meant for repackaging the expired stock. Additional commissioner Bhagwat Singh claimed that the firm’s operator, Gagan Ahuja, “admitted” learning the technique of changing expiry dates to offload outdated items from YouTube videos. The expired goods were destroyed over four days. Twenty-seven trucks were needed to haul the goods to a dumping yard, at the distributor’s cost. Authorities were still probing how many, if any, of these items remained in circulation. The products were made by the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union in Gujarat and supplied by Advansis India Private Limited. Company representatives confirmed that expiry dates had been removed and stated that Ahuja typically bought near-expiry items at steep discounts, according to the TOI report. Amul has yet to respond to the news coverage. Officials noted that the warehouse has been sealed and the company prohibited from food business activities. 

 Rajasthan’s Food Safety Department destroyed about 1.5 lakh kilograms of expired food products after cracking down on a local distribution company that purchased Amul-branded items just before their sell-by date and sold them by tampering with the packaging labels, reports stated on Tuesday. A team of medical and health officials raided a warehouse in Jaipur, seizing nearly 12,000 cartons of expired goods, according to reports. (Photo courtesy of HT File/Representative Image). The operation came after a complaint lodged through the state government’s 181 helpline about suspicious activities at M/s Athlete Distributor in the Kho Nagorian area, according to The Times of India. Principal Secretary for Health, Gayatri Rathore, stated that the complaint was lodged via the department’s helpline. A team under the leadership of the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Jaipur-II conducted a raid on the warehouse, seizing approximately 12,000 cartons of expired products such as noodles, ketchup, mayonnaise, and energy drinks. The warehouse was running under suspicious circumstances, as neighbors noted that after 10 to 12 workers entered, the main gate stayed closed all day, food safety commissioner T Shubhmangala reportedly stated. Investigators also discovered bottles of thinner, acetone, and other chemicals used to remove printed dates from about 3,000 cartons, reported The Indian Express. Authorities also discovered 4,500 fresh Amul-branded cartons meant for repackaging the expired stock. Additional commissioner Bhagwat Singh claimed that the firm’s operator, Gagan Ahuja, “admitted” learning the technique of changing expiry dates to offload outdated items from YouTube videos. The expired goods were destroyed over four days. Twenty-seven trucks were needed to haul the goods to a dumping yard, at the distributor’s cost. Authorities were still probing how many, if any, of these items remained in circulation. The products were made by the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union in Gujarat and supplied by Advansis India Private Limited. Company representatives confirmed that expiry dates had been removed and stated that Ahuja typically bought near-expiry items at steep discounts, according to the TOI report. Amul has yet to respond to the news coverage. Officials noted that the warehouse has been sealed and the company prohibited from food business activities. 

 Approximately four million stray cattle in Madhya Pradesh will receive unique 12-digit saffron tags to distinguish them from domestic animals and aid the government in better management. The tags are being issued under the Bharat Pashudhan project. (Photo by HT/For illustration purposes). According to the State Crime Record Bureau’s data for 2024 and 2023, stray cattle caused 237 road accidents, resulting in 94 fatalities and 133 injuries. Farmers have raised concerns over stray cattle ruining crops, particularly in the Kharif season. The tags are designed to incorporate stray cattle into the Unique Animal Identification system. We encountered issues scanning the tags on the cattle. The new color would simplify identification. The state had requested color-coded tags from the Centre, and approval has been received in principle, additional chief secretary (animal husbandry) Umakant Umrao said. A second official noted that the new tags will be issued under the Bharat Pashudhan project, an initiative of the National Digital Livestock Mission aimed at digitizing the country’s livestock. Every stray or destitute cow residing in shelter homes will receive a unique 12-digit saffron tag. 

 Approximately four million stray cattle in Madhya Pradesh will receive unique 12-digit saffron tags to distinguish them from domestic animals and aid the government in better management. The tags are being issued under the Bharat Pashudhan project. (Photo by HT/For illustration purposes). According to the State Crime Record Bureau’s data for 2024 and 2023, stray cattle caused 237 road accidents, resulting in 94 fatalities and 133 injuries. Farmers have raised concerns over stray cattle ruining crops, particularly in the Kharif season. The tags are designed to incorporate stray cattle into the Unique Animal Identification system. We encountered issues scanning the tags on the cattle. The new color would simplify identification. The state had requested color-coded tags from the Centre, and approval has been received in principle, additional chief secretary (animal husbandry) Umakant Umrao said. A second official noted that the new tags will be issued under the Bharat Pashudhan project, an initiative of the National Digital Livestock Mission aimed at digitizing the country’s livestock. Every stray or destitute cow residing in shelter homes will receive a unique 12-digit saffron tag.