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The Hindu
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Conservancy workers of Madurai Corporation stage sit-in protest; five rounds of talks with officials inconclusive, says CITU
Demanding the Madurai Corporation to implement their genuine demands, including implementation of the High Court Bench order to regularise the jobs of 389 daily wagers as permanent employees, the CITU affiliated workers staged a sit-in protest at the Anna Maaligai, the headquarters of the civic body on Monday. Around 1,200 workers staged a protest from the morning and as a result, garbage lifting exercise was largely affected in the city, the agitators claimed and added that they would not rest until the private contract firm's order was cancelled. The workers said that they were yet to get the incentive of ₹15,000 promised during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agitators said that the daily wage earners were promised ₹784 per day by the government. However, it has not been implemented. Similarly, the government should give one month's salary as bonus to the workers in view of Deepavali. CITU trade union leader Balasubramanian said that they had held five rounds of talks from the morning with the officials and they were hopeful of reaching an agreement. 'Commissioner Chitra Vijayan and her officials listened to us patiently and we expect a favourable response by tonight,' he added. In the event of not reaching any agreement, the striking workers said that they would continue with their sit-in protest. However, a senior official of the Madurai Corporation said that they have informed the police and the workers may be detained. The CITU leader said that in the event of not arriving at a solution, the agitators would court arrest. 'The strike will intensify on Tuesday', he noted. Meanwhile, officials said that demands like regularisation of daily wagers as permanent employees involved the approval of the government. Issues like pay parity and providing gadgets for workers by the contract firm can be met with without much delay.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘Those acting against nation must be in jail till trial ends': Solicitor General to Delhi HC on bail petitions of accused in Delhi 2020 riots case
Arguing on behalf of the Delhi police against the bail petitions of the accused in the February 2020 riots case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) that those accused of acting against the nation must remain in jail until they are either convicted or acquitted. 'If you are doing something against your nation, then you better be in jail till you are acquitted or convicted. There was a riot in the Capital of the country where 100 police personnel and 41 other persons were injured and one police personnel lost his life,' Mr. Mehta said. He made the submission before a Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur in response to bail pleas filed in the 'larger conspiracy' case by several accused, including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Gulfisha Fatima. With the counsels on both sides having concluded their arguments, the court on Wednesday reserved its verdict in the case. The SG's statements come a day after another High Court Bench, while hearing the bail plea of another 'larger conspiracy' case accused, Tasleem Ahmed, had remarked, 'Five years have gone by [since the riots]. Even arguments on the charge have not been completed. In matters like this, with 700 witnesses, how much time can a person be kept inside [jail]?' Some of the accused have argued that they have been in custody for the past five years, and the trial is unlikely to be completed anytime soon, amounting to the curtailment of their fundamental right to protection of life and personal liberty. 'Finest investigation' Mr. Mehta contested the grounds on which the accused persons have sought bail — delay in the trial and prolonged incarceration — saying long incarceration could not be used as an argument to seek relief. He termed the police's probe in the conspiracy case 'one of the finest investigations, where to satisfy the conscience of the court, the prosecution recorded 58 statements before the Magistrate'. 'It is not just a case of bail in any other regular riot case. We are dealing with a well-orchestrated and well-organised criminal conspiracy,' the SG said. Mr. Imam had argued that he was 'completely disconnected' with the areas where the communal violence broke out and that in his communication with the other co-accused on WhatsApp, he did not call for any kind of unrest. The accused were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the IPC for being the 'masterminds' of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Kandadevi car festival held displaying unity, brotherhood
Following 2024, when the renowned car festival of Sri Periyanayaki Ambika Sametha Swarnamutheeswarar Temple was held after 17 years, the temple car event, this year ended on a peaceful note here on Tuesday as all sections of the society pulled the 'vadam,' displaying a sign of unity and brotherhood. Amidst tight police security monitored by senior police officials, the temple car, which started at around 6:15 a.m, after passing through the main thoroughfares, returned to its position at 7:55 a.m. Tamil Nadu Minister for Cooperation K.R. Periyakaruppan, Sivaganga District Collector K. Porkodi, and others were present during the event. The Kandadevi temple car came to a halt in 1998, after members of the Scheduled Castes asserted their right to pull it. Since then, the car festival, the highlight of the Aani festival, has been contentious. The car was pulled once in 2006, but the practice was once again halted and had not been taken up since then. In 2012, the kumbabishekam was performed to the shrine, but the car festival could not be organised then as officials claimed that due to poor upkeep of the car, it required refurbishment. In 2020, a petition was filed at the High Court Bench in Madurai by Maha. Chidambaram in this regard. Even as the court ordered a trial run of the car, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, putting a halt to the event. A new car was built and finally pulled on a trial basis on February 11, 2024, following which the administration gave the nod to the Sivaganga Devasthanam to go ahead with the celebrations. After several rounds of meetings and negotiations, the temple car festival was undertaken with tight police cover in the region. As several restrictions were put by the police to allow public to the event last year, public felt, the rules were bit relaxed this year as the police were confident about the security and the pre-meetings which they conducted with the public and village heads. Devotees and villagers were happy to witness the event taking place for the second consecutive year. Though it was conducted in last year, it was mostly a controlled event to avoid any disturbances to the car festival. But, this year, despite the passes were issued, public felt it more lightly and thereby they felt an air of celebration. This, they attributed to the pre-festival talks which the officials carried out with the villagers to ensure a free and unrestricted event. Sivaganga Superintendent of Police (in-charge) G. Chandeesh, speaking about the event, said that the arrangements made for the festival were reviewed by ADGP (Law and Order) Davidson Devasirvatham a few days ago. In addition to this, the temple car festival was overseen by team of police officials including Madurai City Police Commissioner J. Loganathan, Ramanathapuram range DIG Pa. Moorthy, Madurai SP B.K. Arvind, Chengalpattu SP V.V. Sai Praneeth, among others, he added. As about 2,000 police personnel were deployed, the entire event was monitored and controlled by the police, he noted. Special poojas were performed to the urchavars at early morning and the deities, Piriyavidai and Swarnamurtheeswarar were taken on the big car, while Periya Nayaki and Ambika were accompanied in the supplementing car with Vinayagar, Murugan and Chandeekeswarar deities as well.
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Rights activists take exceptions to bail condition of cleaning police station in Odisha
Civil rights activists have strongly objected to the bail conditions of Orissa High Court and district court requiring accused persons, charged with vandalising a police station, to clean police premises for two months following their release. Last month, a single Bench of Orissa High Court heard the bail petition of Kumeswar Naik, who was in jail following his arrest on charges of alleged act of vandalism at Kashipur Police Station in Rayagada district on September 19, 2024. Kumeswar Naik and 200 other villagers were enraged over arrest of Kartik Naik, an anti-mining activist in Rayagada district. Kumeshwar Naik, who was booked under stringent Sections 191(2), 191(3), 285, 333, 126(2), 121(2), 132, 109(1), 351(3), 125(a), 326(g), 324(5), 74, 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 and Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, had been in jail since his arrest on January 30, 2025. The High Court Bench without going into merits of the case put forward a bail condition that the petitioner would have to clean the premises of the Kasipur Police Station in the morning hour (between 6.00 A.M to 9.00 A.M.) for two months from the date of his actual release. The Inspector In Charge of Kasipur Police Station would have to provide the cleaning articles like broom, phenyl and other items to the petitioner so that he can clean the said premises. Besides, the petitioner would have to appear before the concerned local police station in every fortnight on Monday between 10.00A.M. to 1 P.M. till conclusion of the trial. Earlier this month, Rayagada District and Session Judge put forth identical bail conditions in the same case directing Hiramal Naik, another accused, to clean Kashipur police station premise. 'It appears that in the present cases imposition by courts of such bail conditions are not free from the prejudice against the weaker sections of our society. We are afraid, if such bail conditions become a judicial precedence, it will adversely affect the principle of right to bail, and likely to lead to more executive highhandedness. Further, this approach of imposing such bail conditions may not only be construed as pre trial punishment but also a part of retributive justice system,' said Biswapriya Kanungo, a human right lawyer. 'Agitators who are fighting against the repression of companies for the protection of their livelihoods, nature, and environment have spent months in jail. However, their bail condition is that they must sweep and clean the Kashipur police station for two months,' said Narendra Mohanty, another activist. Mr. Mohanty said, 'sweeping or cleaning is not at all a dishonourable act. But when such a bail condition is imposed on struggling activists who are resisting State, corporate, and police oppression, making them sweep a police station as part of bail is certainly insulting.' Activists also referred to another court order in which a woman, accused of defaulting loan, was asked to carry out sweeping in a private bank.
United News of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Op Abhyas mock drill held on Kalaburagi HC premises
Kalaburagi, May 17 (UNI As part of Operation Abhyas, the Kalaburagi district administration on Saturday conducted a comprehensive mock drill simulating emergency scenarios at the premises of the High Court Bench here. Speaking to reporters, Kalaburagi District Magistrate Fouzia Tarannum said that the exercise was aimed at testing inter-departmental coordination and preparedness in the face of potential threats such as bomb blasts, aerial explosions, and the need for rescue and evacuation operations. 'We had earlier conducted a mock drill at Kalaburagi Airport. Today's drill at the High Court saw active participation from Justice Indrash, along with the Bar Association, Police Department, Revenue Department, Fire Services, Health Department, and other allied departments,' Fouzia said. Non-governmental organisations including the Red Cross, NSS, and NCC were also part of the exercise, which was executed with the cooperation of High Court staff and members of the public. Fouzia said the drill showcased the strength and coordination of twelve departments and reaffirmed the administration's commitment to handle any external threat or emergency in a unified manner. 'This demonstration was a success, and we thank the High Court and all departments for their seamless cooperation,' she added. UNI BDN BM
