No provision in Wild Life Act to deny entry to property inside forest: Karnataka High Court
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News18
13-08-2025
- News18
HC rejects petitions against Karnatakas smart meter mandate
Agency: PTI Bengaluru, Aug 13 (PTI) The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday dismissed two petitions challenging the state government's decision to mandate the installation of smart pre-paid electricity meters for new consumers, despite concerns over their high cost compared to neighbouring states. Justice M Nagaprasanna, who reserved orders on July 22, noted that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) raising similar issues is already pending before a division bench. 'Judicial discipline demands hierarchy, and propriety requires this court to show judicial hands off to the present petitions. Therefore, the subject petitions are not entertainable," the judge said. The court also recorded an earlier submission from Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty that the state would not compel the petitioners to install smart meters in their residences since these were not new connections. During earlier hearings, the bench had remarked on the stark price difference between Karnataka and other states, observing, 'Everywhere else it is Rs 900 for the same smart meter, here you are charging Rs 8,900 — where will poor people go? You have outsourced the work; this is dangerous. You are squeezing the poor." An interim order had been issued then, preventing the state from making smart meters compulsory in situations not covered by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (Pre-paid Smart Metering) Regulations, 2024. Representing one of the petitioners, Senior Advocate Lakshmy Iyengar argued that the policy would eventually affect all consumers, questioning the tender process and highlighting the financial burden when other states offer the same meters at a fraction of the cost. Advocate General Shetty, however, maintained that the requirement applies only to new households, not to existing electricity consumers. PTI JR ROH view comments First Published: August 13, 2025, 20:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Scroll.in
03-08-2025
- Scroll.in
Dharmasthala ‘mass burials': Karnataka HC sets aside trial court's gag order on media reports
The Karnataka High Court on Friday set aside a gag order issued by a Bengaluru civil court that had barred media outlets, YouTube channels and individuals from publishing reports or commentary related to allegations of mass graves, disappearances and crime against women and students over the past two decades in the temple town of Dharmasthala, the Hindustan Times reported. Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that the public's right to know cannot be curtailed, especially in a case involving allegations of serious institutional failure and possible criminal wrongdoing, India Today reported. This came in response to a petition filed by the YouTube channel Kudla Rampage, which had challenged the civil court's ex-parte injunction – an order passed without hearing the other side – on July 18. The injunction, issued by the Additional City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru, had been granted on a plea filed by Harshendra Kumar D, secretary of the Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Education Society and brother of Bharatiya Janata Party MP D Veerendra Heggade. The Heggade family manages the Dharmasthala Manjunathaswamy Temple and the institutions affiliated with it. The civil court order had directed the immediate deletion or de-indexing of 8,842 online links related to the mass grave allegations in Dharmasthala and also restrained the publication of any 'defamatory content' against the Heggade family. Quashing the order on Friday, the High Court said it was sending the case back to the lower court for fresh consideration. In July, a first information report was registered in Dharamasthala based on a complaint by a sanitary worker, who alleged that he was forced to bury the bodies of several women bearing signs of sexual assault. On July 19, the Karnataka government announced the to probe the case. On Friday, Home Minister G Parameshwara reviewed the investigation and said the state was also monitoring social media posts about the case that could 'wrongly impact society', the Hindustan Times reported.
Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
HC quashes civil court's gag order against media in Dharmasthala burial case
The Karnataka high court on Friday quashed a sweeping gag order issued by a Bengaluru civil court that barred media outlets, YouTube channels, and people from publishing reports or commentary related to the ongoing investigation into alleged mass burials of victims of suspected sexual assault and murder over a period of two decades in Dharmasthala. The court directed the trial court to reconsider the matter afresh. HC quashes civil court's gag order against media in Dharmasthala burial case According to Bar and Bench, justice M Nagaprasanna allowed a petition filed by YouTube channel Kudla Rampage challenging the ex parte interim injunction issued on July 8, 2025. The civil court order had restrained the publication of any 'defamatory content' against the family running the Dharmasthala Manjunathaswamy Temple. 'The impugned ex parte injunction order passed by the trial court is quashed. The case is being sent back to the competent court for fresh consideration of the interlocutory application. The trial court should take note of the points made in this order,' the high court said. It further added, 'The competent court should decide the case expeditiously. This court has not expressed any opinion on the civil suit, criminal proceedings, charges, counter-charges. All arguments between the parties are kept open except for one point considered in the order.' The original injunction was obtained by Harshendra Kumar D, brother of Veerendra Heggade, who sought the removal and de-indexing of over 8,000 digital links -- including news reports, social media posts, and videos -- alleging they contained defamatory content against him, his family, the Dharmasthala temple, and related institutions. Welcoming the high court ruling, A Velan, counsel for Kudla Rampage, said in a press statement, 'Karnataka High Court did not just pass a judgment; it restored a fundamental pillar of our democracy. The attempt to draw a curtain of silence over a matter of profound public agony and national importance has failed.' 'In a landmark verdict that will resonate far beyond the confines of this case, the High Court has quashed the sweeping and unprecedented gag order that sought to muzzle the media and stifle public scrutiny of the Dharmasthala mass burials case,' Velan said. He also criticised the trial court's order: 'The trial court's ex-parte injunction was a textbook example of an unconstitutional 'prior restraint' on speech. It was overbroad, passed without jurisdiction, and cast a chilling effect not only on the 338 named respondents but on any media house or individual who dared to report on the case. It sought to criminalize journalism.' Meanwhile, in Dharmasthala, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) wound up its search operations for the day after failing to locate any human remains at two more spots -- Spot 7 and Spot 8 -- identified by the complainant. 'Both sites were excavated thoroughly based on the complainant's directions. However, nothing was recovered from either location today. The investigation at the site has been closed for the day,' an SIT officer said, on condition of anonymity. Earlier, partial skeletal remains were recovered from Spot 6, including about 15 bones, some of which were broken. A skull was not found, officials confirmed. These remains have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further analysis, said officials. 'The FSL team is examining the bones already recovered, but the process is likely to take time. Only after detailed analysis can any clarity emerge about the age, sex, and cause of death,' another officer added, also requesting anonymity. The anonymous complainant, a former sanitation worker, has alleged that multiple bodies -- including those of women and minors -- were buried across temple-affiliated lands in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014. Thirteen such locations were identified as part of the SIT probe, based on his testimony. 'We're following standard procedures and coordinating closely with forensic teams. Not every site may yield physical evidence, but we are documenting everything for completeness,' a senior official said. Home minister G Parameshwara on Friday reviewed the investigation and said the state is monitoring social media posts about the case. 'We will keep a watch on posts that may wrongly impact society,' he told reporters after a meeting with senior officials, including chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh.
