Archives for November 2022

Morbi: Four persons were arrested on Monday in connection with the collapse of the cable suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi in Gujarat in which 134 people were killed, police said.

“We have arrested four persons so far, the investigation is going on,” Rajkot Range IG Ashok Yadav told PTI.

He refused to elaborate saying the police will soon brief the media.

Police have registered an FIR on charges of culpable homicide against agencies given the task of maintenance and operation of the bridge in Morbi city which collapsed on Sunday evening.

The case was registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).

The FIR, lodged by ‘B’ division police inspector Prakash Dekivadia, stated that the bridge over the Machchhu river in Morbi town was not in use for nearly eight months as the local administration had roped in a “private agency” for its maintenance.

Alipurduar: A college student allegedly died by suicide in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district after a video of her stealing chocolates at a shopping mall went viral on social media, police said on Monday.

The body of the third-year undergraduate student was found hanging in her house in Subhas Pally in Jaigaon police station area on Sunday, they said.

The body was sent for post-mortem examination and an investigation was underway, officer-in-charge of Jaigaon Prabir Dutta said.

The girl went to a shopping mall in the area on September 29 along with her sister, and she was caught while getting out of it after allegedly stealing chocolates, her father said.

She paid the price of the chocolates and apologised to the store authorities, he said.

However, people at the store made a video of the whole incident and posted it on social media which went viral, he added.

Out of humiliation, she took the extreme step, the father said.

Locals staged protest outside the shopping mall after the body was found, demanding strong action against those who made the video and posted it online.

The shopping mall authorities could not be reached immediately for comment.

Prayagraj (UP): The Allahabad High Court, which is hearing a petition in connection with a 1991 Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque suit in Varanasi, was on Monday informed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that it will obey the court’s direction in the matter.

Justice Prakash Padia also extended till November 30 the interim stay on a Varanasi court order directing the ASI to conduct a survey at the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex and further proceedings in this case.

Following a court order on October 18, an affidavit was filed by the Director General of the ASI.

It stated that the ASI is ready to obey the court directions, according to sources.

Justice Padia fixed the next hearing on November 11, 2022 on the petition of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, the Gyanvapi Mosque management committee of Varanasi and others challenging the maintainability of an original suit filed in 1991 in the Varanasi district court.

The original suit sought restoration of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple at the site where the Gyanvapi Mosque currently stands.

The petitioners claimed in the suit that the mosque is a part of the temple.

former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a comprehensive affidavit from the Centre assuring it would address security concerns at the private residence of former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, a ‘Z category’ protectee.

The court was informed by the central government that a security review of Swamy’s private house, where he would be residing after vacating the government-allotted bungalow, has been undertaken.

The senior politician — a former Rajya Sabha member — would get whatever he is entitled to as a ‘Z category’ protectee residing in a private space, the government said.

The Centre’s lawyer said “skeletal security” has been provided at Swamy’s private residence and the “main guard would move along with him” from the government bungalow.

If there is no place to set up adequate infrastructure such as a guard room six security personnel would be placed on rotation basis at Swamy’s private house, the lawyer said.

“The day he intimates us, the entire set up will move to his new house,” the lawyer said.

The government’s response was to Swamy’s claim that in spite of an earlier assurance, the Centre is yet to make adequate security arrangements at his private accommodation.

“Whatever his entitlement is, he will get it. Whatever the standard procedure is for private spaces,” the Centre’s lawyer told the court as he claimed that a “compliance affidavit” has been filed in the matter.

Justice Yashwant Varma, however, questioned the Centre over the absence of infrastructure facilities at the private residence as well as when the arrangements would be put in place and how it would “rotate six guards”.

The lawyer said that he would put Centre’s stand in relation to court’s queries on an affidavit.

He stated that “it is better that I put everything on the affidavit. Because for us to provide such guard rooms to each and every private individual…”. The court, however, said, “He is not every private individual, he is an individual to whom you have granted Z category.”

The lawyer assured the court that all adequate arrangements would be done according to applicable protocol.

“(Centre’s counsel) prayed for and is granted time to file a better comprehensive affidavit in order to assure the court that the security concerns pertaining to the petitioner shall be duly met,” the court ordered.

Senior advocate Jayant Mehta, appearing for Swamy, contended that security-related facilities are yet to be provided at the former MP’s private residence and while October 26 was the last date given to him to vacate the government bungalow, authorities “visited” the new premises only after the matter was mentioned before the high court on October 27.

The Centre’s counsel asked the court to note that there were festivals when “there is heightened security risk”.

However, the court asked the counsel not to make “generic statements”.

On September 14, the court had directed Swamy to hand over possession of his government bungalow to the estate officer within six weeks, noting that the allotment was made for a period of five years, which had come to an end.

Swamy, whose term as a member of the Upper House of Parliament came to an end on April 24, had earlier moved the high court for re-allotment of the government bungalow citing security threats to him.

While disposing of Swamy’s petition seeking re-allotment, the court had recorded that there was no material shown which mandated and required the allotment of government accommodation to a ‘Z category’ protectee.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing the government, had submitted that while Swamy continues to remain a ‘Z category’ protectee, the policies and guidelines which govern such protectees does not obligate the government to also provide residential accommodation from the general pool.

He had said while the Union government would continue to extend ‘Z category’ protection to him, subject to due periodical review, it would not be possible for the government bungalow to be realloted to Swamy.

Jain had said in any case, the petitioner has his own residential premises where he can possibly shift and the protecting agencies would take all further steps in that premises as may be warranted to ensure his safety and security.

The matter would be heard next on November 3.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah

New Delhi : A group of more than 200 alumni of the Sardar Patel Vidyalaya here have written to its management objecting to an invitation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah as chief guest at a school event.

 The group said the invite goes against the ethos of the school and will make it vulnerable to criticism in the current “climate of polarisation”.

Shah is slated to address a gathering at Sardar Patel Jayanti celebrations at the school on Monday.

“In the current climate of polarisation, inviting a political figure of his ilk will make the school vulnerable to criticism and will undermine its ethos that stands for the Constitution and pluralism,” the alumni said in the letter.

“This current climate of hate and violence spewing through the country has been responsible for the fragrant disregard of the constitutional values. We are a school that encourages questioning, democratic ideals of dissent, argument and debate,” the group said.

The group asserted that as a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the political front of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Shah stands in opposition to the ideals of Sardar Patel, that have been inculcated in them by the school.

“Despite attempts by the BJP to appropriate Patel in recent years, it would be prudent to remember that he had banned the RSS in 1948 after Gandhi’s assassination while he was the home minister,” the letter said.

“The politics of the current ruling party represented by Amit Shah is at complete variance with the ideology of Sardar Patel and therefore goes against very ethos of what this school and country stand for. The choice of chief guest undermines the spirit of the school,” it said.

The National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is celebrated every year on October 31 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Home Minister.

Subramanian Swamy

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday raised several eyebrows with a tweet questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah if they were repeating a “Haren Pandeya” on him.

He also added Shah and Modi had bluffed even those among the highest authority in the RSS, BJP’s parent organization.

“I hope Modi & Shah are not planning a Haren Pandeya on me. If so I may have to alert my friends.” Swamy wrote in the tweet.

“Remember I give as good as I get. The duo have even bluffed those in the highest authority in RSS.” He added in the tweet.

Haren  Pandeya was former Home Minister of Gujarat who was assassinated in Ahmedabad in 2003. Several users also questioned if Swamy was accusing Modi-Shah of killing Pandeya.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it is unfortunate that the practice of the “two-finger test” to examine rape survivors is still prevalent in society, and asked the Centre and the states to ensure it is not conducted.

A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli overturned a decision of the Jharkhand High Court acquitting a rape and murder convict, and upheld a decision of a trial court holding him guilty.

The bench said a decade-old decision of the top court had held the invasive “two-finger test” as a violation of a woman’s dignity and privacy.

“It is unfortunate that the practice is still prevalent even today The procedure which tests vaginal laxity is an upfront on women’s dignity. It cannot be said that a sexually active woman cannot be raped,” the bench said.

It issued a slew of directions to the Centre and state government authorities and asked the DGPs and health secretaries of the states to ensure that the “two-finger test” is not conducted.

The top court said that any individual conducting the two-finger test will be held guilty of misconduct.

It directed the Centre and the health secretaries of the state to take steps to remove the study materials on two-finger tests from the curriculum of government and private medical colleges.

Rescue operation underway after an old suspension bridge over the Machchhu river collapsed, in Morbi district

Morbi: The suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi that collapsed on Sunday evening killing at least 60 people was reopened for the public just four days back after seven months of repair work by a private firm, but had not received the municipality’s “fitness certificate”, an official said.

The more than a century-old bridge in Morbi city caved in around 6.30 pm when it was crammed with people.

“The bridge was given to Oreva company for operation and maintenance for 15 years. In March this year, it was closed for the public for renovation. It reopened after renovation on the Gujarati New Year day celebrated on October 26,” said Chief Officer of Morbi Municipality Sandeepsinh Zala.

“It was opened to the public after the completion of the renovation work. But the local municipality had not yet issued any fitness certificate (after the renovation work),” he said.

An “engineering marvel” built at the turn of the 19th century, the suspension bridge was said to reflect “the progressive and scientific nature of the rulers of Morbi,” as per its description on the district collectorate website.

Sir Waghji Thakor, who ruled Morbi till 1922, was inspired by the Colonial influence and decided to construct the bridge, an “artistic and technological marvel” of that period, to connect Darbargadh Palace with Nazarbag Palace (the residences of the then royalty).

The bridge was 1.25 metres wide and spanned 233 metres, and was meant to give a unique identity to Morbi using the latest technology available in those days in Europe, as per the collectorate website.