Archives for October 2022

NEW DELHI: Minister ST Somashekar, IAS officer Dr G C Prakash (then Commissioner of the BDA) and K Ravi, proprietor, 37th Crescent Hotel, Bengaluru have approached the Supreme Court against Karnataka HC’s order of directing the Lokayukta police to investigate into the allegations of accepting bribe to get a project for Ramalingam Construction Company Private Limited from Bangalore Development Authority.

The plea challenging HC’s September 7 order where it had also  restored the privatecomplaint filed by activist TJ Abraham in the graft case is listed beforethe bench led by Justice Chandrachud on October 10.
While allowing Abraham’s plea who had challenged lower court’s order of dismissinghis private complaint, Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav of Karnataka HC said thatthe rejection of sanction for prosecution would not come in the way of continuance of proceedings.

“The rejection of such request is liable to be ignored, as such request was not made either by the police officer or an officer of investigation agency or other law enforcement authorities; nor pursuant to the order of court as contemplated under first proviso to Section 19 of the PC Act,” the HC said.

Exactly one week after the HC’s order, a special court on 14th September referred the private complaint to the Lokayukta police to conduct investigation into the allegations and submit a final report by November 2, 2022.

SRINAGAR: Former Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday alleged that she has been placed under house arrest but police denied her allegations saying no restrictions were placed on her movement

“While HM is going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy, I am under house arrest for simply wanting to visit Pattan for a worker’s wedding. If an ex-CM’s fundamental rights can be suspended so easily, one can’t even imagine the plight of a commoner (sic),” tweeted Mehbooba Muft

Mehbooba was among the three former Chief Ministers and mainstream leaders arrested and booked under stringent PSA after Article 370 revocation on August 5, 2019. She was later released in October 2020 and since her release, she has been placed under house detention on a few occasions.

Police, however, denied Mehbooba’s allegation that she was denied permission to travel to Pattan in north Kashmir and placed under house detention.

“It is clarified that no restriction of any kind travel to Pattan, travel to Pattan was at 1 pm as intimated to us. The picture tweeted by her is of inside of the gate with own lock of residents who stay in the bunglow. There is no lock or any restrictions. She is free to travel (sic),” tweeted Srinagar police.

NAGPUR: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said India should have a population policy prepared after comprehensive thought and be applicable to all communities equally.

Speaking at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Dussehra rally in Nagpur, Bhagwat said community-based population imbalance is an important subject and should not be ignored.

Population imbalances lead to changes in geographical boundaries, he said.

The new population policy should be applicable to all communities equally to strike a balance, he said.

“There has to be a balance among the communities in this country,” he added.

Pointing out at China’s ‘One family one child’ policy, Bhagwat said, “While we are trying to control the population, we should see what happened in China. That country went for the one child policy and now it is getting older.

“With 57 crore youth population in India, we will remain a young nation for next 30 years,” Bhagwat said.

“However, what will happen to India after 50 years? Will we have enough food to feed the population,” he added.

Bhagwat also stressed on people starting their own businesses and not relying solely on government jobs.

“All government jobs put together, only 30 per cent population will be covered. Rest of the population will have to start their own businesses to create more employment,” he said.

The RSS invited mountaineer Santosh Yadav as the chief guest for the event. She is the first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest twice.

Mysore: Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrived in this historic town on Monday afternoon for the party’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka.

She will participate in the Yatra on Thursday morning when it resumes after a two-day break.

Sonia Gandhi had not campaigned for the party during elections in the recent past due to health reasons.

It will be after a long time that Gandhi will participate in the party’s public event where a large number of Congress workers are participating.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the 26th day of its almost five-month journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will undertake the entire 3,570 km Yatra.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann

Chandigarh: The Punjab Assembly on Monday “unanimously” passed the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on September 27, even as Congress members staged a walkout.

The BJP members have already announced to boycott the assembly session.

After a lengthy discussion on the confidence motion, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan put it to vote. He asked MLAs to raise hands who were in support, and then asked those who were against the motion of confidence.

Announcing the results, Sandhwan said 91 AAP MLAs supported the motion.

He also said one of the three SAD MLAs who was present in the House and a lone BSP MLA did not oppose the motion.

No Congress, BJP or lone Independent MLA was present in the House at the time of voting.

AAP has 92 MLAs, including the Speaker, in the House.

“So, 93 MLAs have supported the motion and none is against it. Thus, the motion is unanimously passed,” the Speaker said.

In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the AAP has 92 members, Congress 18, SAD 3, BJP 2, BSP 1 while 1 is an Independent.

The assembly had taken up discussion on confidence motion, with AAP MLAs hitting out at the BJP over “Operation Lotus”, alleging a bid to topple the six-month-old government.

The AAP had earlier claimed that at least 10 of its MLAs were approached by the BJP with an offer of Rs 25 crore to each of them in a bid to topple the Mann government under its “Operation Lotus”.

However, as the discussion began, Congress MLAs staged a walkout, as they were demanding that the Speaker should allot them time to speak and raise issues during the Zero Hour.

The two BJP MLAs Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan — have been boycotting the session as they accused the AAP government of violating the Constitution by bringing the confidence motion in the assembly.

Bhubaneswar: Popular Odia singer Murali Mohapatra collapsed and died while performing at a Durga Puja cultural event in Odisha’s Koraput district, his family said.

Mohapatra, who was reportedly unwell, suddenly sat down on a chair on the stage after singing four songs in Jeypore town. When taken to a hospital, he was declared dead on arrival.

He died of a heart attack late on Sunday night, his brother Bibhuti Prasad Mohapatra said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condoled the death of Mohapatra.

Saddened to know about the demise of popular singer Murali Mohapatra. His sweet voice will always ignite the hearts of listeners. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to his family, Patnaik said in a Twitter post in Odia.

The incident reminded people of singer KK’s death at a hotel after a concert in Kolkata earlier this year.

Mohapatra was also a government employee working at the office of the Jeypore sub-collector. He was set to retire from service nine months later.

The singer’s friend Prasant Kumar Mishra said Mohapatra had informed the audience that he was unwell and requested all to cooperate if there was any mistake.

Mohapatra used to follow the singing style of legendary Odia singer, songwriter and composer Akshaya Mohanty. People used to describe him as “Akshaya Mohanty of Jeypore”.

Basti (UP): A doctor was arrested for allegedly raping a woman here, police said on Tuesday.

The woman filed a complaint with the police stating that the doctor, posted at a hospital in the Basti Sadar Kotwali area, befriended her on social media and asked her to visit him, they said.

When she visited the hospital, the doctor took her to his hostel room where he and his two colleagues, who are also doctors, raped her, police said quoting the complainant.

The woman, who is a teacher in a private educational institute, reached Lucknow from Basti and informed the police on September 27, they said

A case was registered and investigation taken up, police said, adding the doctor was arrested from the hospital.