This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma. Today is the 18th of April and here are this week’s headlines.
Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi has been arrested in Belgium following an extradition request by India, according to sources. Choksi is wanted by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate in the ₹13,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. He had been residing in Antwerp on a residency card after previously living in Antigua and Barbuda. Earlier this year, India, via the Ministry of External Affairs, formally requested Belgium to extradite him. Choksi’s wife, Preeti, holds Belgian citizenship, and the legal process for extradition is now underway.
The Enforcement Directorate filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case. Special Judge Vishal Gogne reviewed the chargesheet on April 9 to consider cognisance and scheduled further proceedings for April 25. Other individuals named include senior Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey. The case, which has long been politically contentious, involves allegations of financial irregularities linked to the now-defunct National Herald newspaper, formerly owned by Congress-linked entities. The ED’s action intensifies legal scrutiny on the Gandhi family and Congress leadership.
The Supreme Court strongly criticized the recent violence linked to amendments in the Waqf Act. During a hearing on related petitions, Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna remarked that the unrest was "very disturbing" and stressed the matter is now under judicial review. Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta agreed, warning of a growing trend to pressure legal institutions. The three-judge bench’s focus was both on assessing the legality of the amendments and addressing the troubling nationwide unrest, which has sparked political and public concern amid ongoing legal deliberations.
Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna has formally recommended Justice B R Gavai as his successor in a letter to the Union Law Ministry. Once approved, Justice Gavai, currently the second-most senior judge in the Supreme Court, will become India’s 52nd Chief Justice. Elevated to the top court in May 2019, Justice Gavai, now 64, will assume office following Justice Khanna’s retirement on May 13, 2025. His tenure is expected to last until November 23, the mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court judges being 65 years.
In a dramatic escalation of the U.S.–China trade war, the Trump administration has imposed 245% tariffs on all Chinese imports. The announcement, made via a late-night White House fact sheet, came after Beijing retaliated against earlier U.S. tariffs, sparking global market jitters. Citing unfair taxation by foreign nations, Trump had previously levied 10% tariffs on all such countries, which were later paused to encourage trade talks. The revived tariff blitz, unveiled on Liberation Day, underscores rising tensions and signals a hardened U.S. trade stance under Trump’s leadership.
This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express.
