The New York judge presiding over Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial ordered his daughter Ivanka on Friday to testify in the case.

Ivanka Trump, 41, was initially named in the lawsuit against Trump and his two eldest sons brought by New York’s attorney general but was eventually dropped as a defendant.

Trump and his sons Don Jr and Eric are accused of inflating the value of the real estate of the Trump Organization for years to obtain more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.

Judge Arthur Engoron dismissed an attempt by Trump’s attorneys to quash a subpoena issued to Ivanka Trump by Attorney General Letitia James but gave her until November 1 to appeal the decision.

Ivanka Trump served as a senior advisor to her father, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, while he was in the White House but has kept a low profile since he left office.

She abandoned her roles in the Trump Organization in January 2017, when her father became president and she and her husband, Jared Kushner, both took up posts in his administration.

Prior to that, Ivanka Trump was an executive vice president in the Trump Organization and was notably in close contact with one of the group’s biggest lenders, Deutsche Bank, according to the attorney general’s office.

The 77-year-old Trump and his sons are also expected to testify at some point during the trial being held in Manhattan.

The former president does not risk going to jail, but James is seeking $250 million in penalties and the removal of Trump and his sons from management of the family real estate empire.

Trump has repeatedly denounced the trial as a Democratic witch hunt intended to derail his 2024 White House bid.

The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by MLA KB Ganesh Kumar seeking the cancelling of a case registered against him for an alleged conspiracy to falsely implicate former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in a sexual assault case connected with the controversial solar scam.

Justice PV Kunhikrishnan, while dismissing the petition, said the continuation of that case was necessary not only for the “soul of the former chief minister” and his bereaved family, but also to prove the “integrity of the petitioner” (Kumar) too.

The case was registered against the MLA after Congress activist and advocate Sudheer Jacob moved the Kottarakara First Class Judicial Magistrate Court.

Mr Jacob had alleged that Mr Kumar and others had produced a “forged letter” before the Solar Enquiry Commission purportedly written by the prime accused in the solar cheating case, raising sexual assault charges against Chandy.

The high court noted that the magistrate had taken cognisance of the offence after going through the sworn statements of the witnesses.

“The former chief minister has passed away. Such an allegation should not be in the air because his soul will not forgive the same,” Justice Kunhikrishnan said in an order.

“The continuation of this case is necessary not only for the soul of the former chief minister and his bereaved family, but also to prove the integrity of the petitioner too. Let the soul of our former chief minister rest in peace,” the order said.

The court also said that if such an allegation against the petitioner (Kumar) who is a Member of the Legislative Assembly is incorrect, then he can take appropriate steps for malicious prosecution against the complainant.

“I am of the opinion that this case is to be proceeded and should arrive at a logical conclusion for the interest of the soul of the former chief minister and if the allegations are wrong, it will prove the integrity of the petitioner, who is a Member of the Legislative Assembly, a known politician,” the order read.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly VD Satheesan today asked the Left Front not to include Kumar, a Kerala Congress (B) leader and an ally of the ruling LDF, in the state cabinet.

Mr Satheesan, in a statement said the high court has said that Mr Kumar should face the trial in a case connected to falsely implicating Chandy.

State Congress chief K Sudhakaran, meanwhile, welcomed the high court order and said it was a pathway to justice for Chandy who had been “hunted” in the case.

Mr Sudhakaran also demanded that Mr Kumar not be made a minister in the state cabinet.

As there are restrictions to accommodate more than 21 members in the cabinet, the LDF had in 2021 decided to share the ministerial berths with four of its allies having a single MLA, on a term basis.

Mr Kumar is expected to be inducted into the cabinet in the second phase.

Punjab recorded the highest number of stubble burning incidents this season at 766, while Haryana and Uttar Pradesh recorded 67 and 97 respectively. The air quality is expected to deteriorate to ‘very poor’ due to the increase in stubble burning and unfavorable meteorological conditions. The wind direction is expected to change on Saturday, leading to a slowdown in the dispersion of pollutants. Delhi experienced its lowest minimum temperature of the season at 15.2 degrees Celsius, and mist was observed in the morning, causing visibility to drop.