Multi-million rupee job scam in Madras HC: A brother and husband to two Madras HC employees masterminded a multi-crore fake appointment letter scam at the Madras HC with 300 aspirants to posts of junior assistant, driver, office assistant and sweeper in the HC paying him between Rs 2 – 4 lakh each for “appointment orders”. The appointment orders rival genuine letters, as they contain the state emblem and 'signature' of the registrar general, besides carrying the name of Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal. They were all issued appointment orders, which mentioned the joining date as September 25, 2012. The date was, however, modified several times later [TOI]

CCI to start rewarding cartel whistleblowers: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is about to set its first precedent in rewarding cartel whistleblowers. The CCI may impose a lower penalty, on the condition of full disclosure, on Phoenix Conveyor Belt, which is one among 17 companies in the conveyor belt segment against which the CCI has directed investigation for alleged cartelisation [ET]

KTS Tulsi to become Rajya Sabha member: Senior advocate and former additional solicitor general of India KTS Tulsi has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra is among Tulsi’s many renowned clients. Tulsi obtained his LLB degree in 1971 and took to criminal law in 1980 when he was appointed as special prosecutor. He refused to defend Gujarat’s government in the SC after CM Narendra Modi justified the Sohrabuddin encounter. Tulsi was designated a senior in 1987 and ASG in 1990 [Indian Express]

Police investigation details on Ganguly beyond disclosure: AN RTI activist who had written to the Delhi police commissioner asking him to take cognizance of the AK Ganguly sexual harassment case, like the Goa police had done in Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal’s instance, filed an RTI to the Delhi police asking if anything stopped it from taking such cognisance. The police rejected the RTI stating that though nothing barred them from taking cognisance, they could not provide details of the action taken since the matter was still pending inquiry [Deccan Herald]

Parole rules to become stringent in Maha, Karnataka: Fed up of paroled convicts absconding in droves, the Karnataka high court has taken suo moto cognisance of 42 parole absconders to revise parole rules in the state and make them more stringent, while the Maharashtra government will change parole rules indicating that this was to avoid the Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt-like situation, where repeated parole was being obtained on the basis of medical certificates [TOI/The Week]

Constitution co-author Trimbak Tope’s centenary: It is the 100th birth anniversary of the Indian Constitution’s co-author Dr Trimbak Krishna Tope tomorrow, who also served as the vice chancellor of the Mumbai University after 17 years as GLC Mumbai’s principal having taught former president of India Pratibha Patil and former attorney general of India Soli Sorabjee. His daughter, leading Mumbai lawyer Mrunali Deshmukh will be present to commemorate his centennial year as will be former Bombay High Court chief justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari, former Solicitor General of India Gopal Subramaniam and former High Court judge Narendra Chapalgaonkar, to discuss how constitutional mechanisms can correct flaws in the system [DNA]

Gay marriage ban almost struck down in Texas: A Texas federal judge Orlando Garcia becomes the first judge in Texas, to hold that a same-sex marriage ban in the deeply conservative US state is unconstitutional. But he also said he would not enforce his ruling pending a ruling by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which already is hearing two other states' cases. He will also give Texas time to appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Garcia was in the 5th Circuit appointed by President Bill Clinton [TOI]