Archives for November 2022

KOCHI: Amidst the ongoing tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the Left government, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday alleged that a system of “oligarchy” is prevailing in CPI(M)-ruled state and it was evident from the incidents of party cadres being appointed in government jobs.

He made this remark while referring to the reports of a purported letter from the Thiruvananthapuram Mayor’s office asking the “priority list” of CPI(M) cadres to be appointed in temporary posts in the civic body.

“The letter which is being discussed in the press is not the first of its kind. Many such letters exist with people. They have become like an oligarchy in Kerala,” the Governor said.

He also claimed that the people were asking are all the jobs under Kerala government reserved for cadres and the university jobs for powerful people in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Governor, while talking to reporters here, also claimed that the CPI(M) central leadership has distanced itself from Finance Minister K N Balagopal’s remarks allegedly affecting the unity of the country.

He had earlier accused Balagopal of violating his oath of office and informed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that the minister has ceased to enjoy his “pleasure”.

Khan had asked the Chief Minister to take action which is “constitutionally appropriate”.

The Governor spoke to the media after making sure that the media crew of CPI(M)-controlled “Kairali News” and Kozhikode-based “Media One” channel leave the venue.

He said he would not speak to mediapersons of the two channels alleging that they are cadres who masquerade as media.

New Delhi: A court hearing a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 on the prosecution on Friday for causing adjournment because of its “deliberate inaction”.

The court was hearing arguments on the point of charge against three accused for various offences, including rioting.

“For causing adjournment for today out of deliberate inaction, a cost of Rs 5,000 is imposed upon the prosecution…,” Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala said.

The court said that during the hearing of the case, the special public prosecutor (SPP) sought pass-over twice on the grounds that the investigating officer was on his way to court.

When the court called for the third time, the SPP said no one had appeared from the Gokulpuri police station and the mobile phone of the IO was switched off, it said.

The court noted that in the present case, the IO and the Station House Officer concerned had taken adjournment and time for filing a supplementary charge sheet along with a fresh site plan to show the route taken by the mob, which was allegedly behind the incidents of rioting being investigated.

The plea seeking adjournment was being taken since July 23, 2022, and was also made on the last date of hearing on September 21, the court said.

“The court had been giving time to the IO leniently, so as to do the needful, but in vain and at the same time, I cannot leave it at the mercy of the SHO or the IO, to do the needful as per the requirement of the case,” the judge said.

The judge then referred the matter to the deputy commissioner of police, northeast district, to ensure the filing of the supplementary charge sheet on the proper site plan under his supervision on the next date of hearing on December 15.

“Copy of this order be sent to the DCP for compliance, with the request to make an inquiry to fix accountability of such lapse, if any, and to recover the amount of cost, so that the public exchequer is not burdened,” the court said.

Yati Narsinghanand, the priest of Ghaziabad’s Dasna Devi temple

Ghaziabad (UP): The Uttar Pradesh Police has issued a notice to Yati Narsinghanand, the priest of Ghaziabad’s Dasna Devi temple, instructing him not to organise a “dharma sansad” and a preparatory meeting for which permission has not been obtained from the district administration, a senior officer said.

Narsinghanand, who often triggers controversy with his provocative remarks, has called the three-day “dharma sansad” beginning December 17, the birth anniversary of former BJP MP Baikunth Lal Sharma.

A preparatory meeting has been called on December 6 to chalk out plans for the three-day event.

Ghaziabad Superintendent of Police (Rural) Iraj Raja said, “Without permission, the police will not permit the three-day-long ‘dharma sansad’ which hundreds of seers are expected to attend. Also, providing security to them would be a tough task.”

Furthermore, prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 have been enforced in the district in view of civic body elections, the police officer said.

The police served notice on Narsinghanand on Thursday instructing him not to organise the “dharma sansad” and the preparatory meeting.

In a press statement, the priest said, “Dharma Sansad will be held in the temple premises that is why no permission is required for it. And, it is not being held for the first time. We will organise it at any cost. If police and administration create hindrance, seers will lodge their protest.”

Mumbai: A 132-year-old tunnel-like structure has been found on the premises of the government-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.

The 200-metre-long structure was found under a building which originally housed the Sir Dinshaw Manockjee Petit Hospital for Women and Children. It was later converted into a nursing college.

The tunnel came to light during an inspection of the building following a complaint of water leakage, officials said.

The foundation stone of the British-era heritage building was laid by Lord Reay, then Governor of Bombay, on January 27, 1890, said Dr Arun Rathod, Medical Superintendent of the hospital.

Hospital Dean Dr Pallavi Saple told PTI that they have apprised the Mumbai collector and Maharashtra Archaeology Department about the discovery as the building is a heritage structure.

Dr Rathod, who inspected the structure from inside, told PTI that it is 4.5 feet high and has several brick pillars. The entrance is sealed with a stone wall, he said.

They entered after opening what looked like a sealed ventilation duct, three ft-by-three ft in size. There are many such sealed openings on the front and the rear side of the structure, he said.

According to some former hospital employees, another British-era building located behind this building has a similar structure underneath, but it was yet to be verified, said Dr Rathod.

The two buildings could be connected by a tunnel but this was only a conjecture at this point, he said.

The building under which the tunnel was found was designed by architectural executive John Adams and inaugurated on March 15, 1892. The construction cost was Rs 1,19,351, Rathod said.

The JJ Hospital campus houses several British-era heritage structures.

Udhagamandalam : A video of a leopard carrying a dog in its mouth created panic among residents in the vicinity of the Tamil Nadu government’s guest house here on Friday.

After the purported viral video of the leopard with a pet dog in its mouth climbing down from the second floor of ‘Tamizhakam’, the guest house which is located in nearby West Oda area, people in the locality urged the Forest department to trap the animal.

Movement of leopards in the vicinity of ‘Tamizhakam’ during nights was common, Forest department officials said, while adding that efforts were on to prevent the animal from entering human habitats.

Considering the leopard’s movements, the residents had already urged the department to catch it by placing a cage in the area, police said.

With around 300 houses in West Oda behind the government guest house, the movement of the leopard during night has triggered panic among residents and the video has added to their fears, police said.