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India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Karnataka govt rebuked by HC for withdrawing Hubballi riot case: Basavaraj Bommai
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 29 (ANI): Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said the Karnataka High Court has reprimanded the state government for withdrawing the case related to the attack on the Hubballi police station, calling the decision inappropriate. Speaking to the media at the BJP office, he said that the High Court bench on Thursday delivered a verdict regarding the Hubballi riot case. In this case, the Karnataka government had withdrawn a criminal case, and the court ruled that this action was incorrect. 'I had earlier said that withdrawing a case related to an attack on a police station is not right. Yet, the government withdrew the case due to political pressure and appeasement politics. The court has rightly reprimanded them,' Bommai said. The BJP leader asserted that the state Cabinet must work in the interest of Karnataka and not engage in appeasement politics. He added that action must be taken against those involved in the DJ Halli and KG Halli riots. When asked about Tamil actor Kamal Haasan allegedly insulting the Kannada language, Bommai said the actor must apologise. 'Kannada is a very old and ancient language. The antiquity of a language can be represented in many ways. Kamal Haasan is not a great expert. One must exercise restraint while speaking about a language. If he wishes to preserve his dignity, he should apologise,' he added. The Karnataka High Court on Thursday quashed the state Cabinet's decision to withdraw the criminal cases registered against the accused in the 2022 case of Old Hubballi riots. Advocate Girish Bhardwaj had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the legality of the government order issued in October 2024 to withdraw 43 criminal cases in which former ministers, former MLAs and persons belonging to influential organisations were made accused. Karnataka High Court Chief Justice NV Anjaria , who heard the arguments, and a division bench comprising Justices Anjaria and Arvind has set aside the Cabinet decision and issued the order. In October 2024, the Karnataka government decided to withdraw criminal cases, including those in connection with the 2022 case of Hubballi riots. After this, the BJP leaders along with other party leaders protested against the state government's decision to withdraw the cases against AIMIM leaders accused of leading a mob that attacked the police and threatened to break into the police station in Hubballi in 2022. The unrest began on April 16, 2022, following the posting of a derogatory image on social media depicting a saffron flag atop a mosque that sparked outrage within the Muslim community, leading to a large protest outside the Old Hubballi Police Station. The demonstration quickly escalated into violence, with thousands of individuals reportedly participating in a riot that resulted in the injury of four police officers and significant damage to public property. (ANI)
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Court fee revision done on a rational basis: Govt to Kerala high court
Kochi: The state govt has informed the high court that the revision of court fees was carried out on a rational basis by a competent legislature after conducting thorough research and analysis on the subject. Law secretary K G Sanal Kumar made this submission through a counter affidavit filed in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated by the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA), which challenges the steep hike in court fees and the imposition of ad valorem fees without any upper limit, introduced through the Kerala Finance Act, 2025. The affidavit further stated that the revision was based on a study conducted by an expert committee comprising a retired HC judge, govt secretaries and a member of the legal fraternity, appointed by the govt. The committee recommended revising the fixed court fees only after examining the depreciation in the value of the rupee, using various indices such as the consumer price index (CPI) for industrial workers (IW), the exchange rate of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar, the average wage of non-agricultural workers in Kerala, and the change in gold prices over the years. The last revision of court fees was in 2003, and no comprehensive revision has taken place in the past 20 years. The affidavit also asserted that the state has the exclusive power to legislate on the subject of 'fees taken in all courts except the Supreme Court,' as per Entry 3 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The Court will consider the petition on June 4.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Supreme Court stays proceedings against Opinion Trading
In a major relief for opinion trading platforms, the Supreme Court has asked Chhattisgarh and Gujarat High Courts to pause the hearings of PILs before them. PILs had been filed before the two courts challenging the validity of opinion trading as games of skill . The Supreme Court's order comes against the backdrop of multiple Public Interest Litigations (PILs) pending in various High Courts across the country, challenging sports engagement gaming formats such as opinion trading and fantasy sports. Notable cases have been heard in the Bombay, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh High Courts. Recently, Probo approached the Supreme Court asking for all Gujarat and Chhattisgarh PILs to be transferred to the Bombay High court. The transfer is being sought to avoid contradictory orders and save judicial time in hearing similar cases. On 22nd May, the Supreme Court stayed the proceedings and also directed the petitioners in the state PILs to be heard before it. Opinion trading has gained prominence in India over the past few years, driven by a growing consumer appetite for interactive, real-time participation in sports and gaming formats. Some of the key platforms in this emerging space include Probo, Sports Baazi, and MPL Opinio, which are tapping into the demand for predictive, engagement-based experiences. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Madras high court stays law barring governor from appointing vice-chancellors
The Madras High Court on Wednesday stayed a series of amendments passed by the Tamil Nadu government last month that sought to transfer the power to appoint Vice-Chancellors (VCs) of state-run universities from the Governor to the State government. A vacation bench of Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayan passed the order amidst high courtroom drama and vehement opposition from the State government. As the Court began dictating its order granting the stay, the judges' microphone was muted, leaving Senior Counsel P Wilson, who was appearing for the State via videoconferencing, unable to hear the pronouncement. Wilson asked the court staff to unmute the mic and also urged the bench to clarify whether a stay had indeed been granted and whether any reasons were being recorded. The judges, however, brushed aside his concerns, stating there was no need to worry as the order would be uploaded soon. As of Wednesday evening, the order had not been uploaded. The Court granted such interim stay while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by K Venkatachalapathy, a lawyer, challenging the constitutional validity of the recent amendments. The petitioner claimed that the twelve amendments enacted by the State government were in direct conflict with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations, a central legislation. He argued that these Regulations mandate that Vice-Chancellors must be appointed by the Chancellor. In Tamil Nadu, the Governor, by virtue of office, functions as the Chancellor of all state universities. The amendments, the PIL alleged, sought to override the Governor's role. Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that under well established constitutional principles, when a conflict arises between Central and State legislation on matters in the Concurrent List, the Central law prevails. Since the UGC Regulations already govern the subject matter, the State's amendments were unconstitutional, he argued. Both Wilson and Tamil Nadu Advocate General PS Raman argued that the matter was already before the Supreme Court. Wilson informed the bench that he had orally mentioned the matter before the Chief Justice of India, who had permitted him to apprise the High Court about the pending transfer petition. The senior advocate also questioned the urgency in hearing the PIL during court vacations, pointing out that the amendments were passed as far back as April. 'This matter concerns universities. The Governor is waging a war against the State. What is the public interest in this petition? It is politically motivated,' he said, claiming that the petitioner was a BJP district secretary from Tirunelveli. However, the bench asked whether the Supreme Court had restrained the high court from hearing the matter. When Wilson admitted it had not, the bench chose to proceed and granted an interim stay, thereby halting the enforcement of the amendments until further orders. The amendments in question were part of a series of legislative changes passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly following a Supreme Court order dated April 8. That order had pulled up Governor RN Ravi for delaying assent to 12 bills passed by the State Assembly,most of them concerning the appointment of Vice-Chancellors. The Supreme Court had deemed 10 of those bills as having received valid assent. In the wake of that judgment, the Assembly passed fresh amendments on April 11, including changes to the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University Act. These sought to transfer critical powers, including the appointment of VCs, from the Governor to the State. Among the major changes was a proposal to restructure the VC search committee. The Bill proposes a four-member panel comprising two State government nominees, including a retired High Court judge and a senior bureaucrat, and one nominee from the university syndicate. The Chancellor's nominee is to be removed from the process as per the bill. Further, the bill empowered the State government to set eligibility criteria for VCs, receive recommendations directly from the search committee, and remove Vice-Chancellors from office. It also revoked the Governor's authority to assent to or withhold approval of syndicate decisions.
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Man Sends Rs 50 Lakh Notice To Bengaluru Civic Body Over "Poor" Roads
Bengaluru: A 43-year-old man in Bengaluru has served a legal notice, seeking a compensation of Rs 50 Lakh from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for the "physical agony and emotional trauma" caused by alleged broken and non-motorable roads in the city. In his notice, Dhivya Kiran, a resident of Richmond Town, said that despite being a tax-paying citizen, he has continuously faced physical hardships and mental agony due to the alleged failure of the civic body to maintain basic infrastructure. He claimed to have made five visits to orthopedics and four emergency visits to hospitals, due to severe neck and back pains. These, he added, were "medically linked to the jerks and trauma caused while commuting on these treacherous roads". There was no immediate response from the BBMP on the notice. Broken and waterlogged roads during times of rain in various parts of the city are often a nightmare for most people in the city. Unusually heavy overnight rains on Sunday brought the IT capital to its knees on Monday as people were spotted wading through water and evacuating their houses with the help of inflatable boats. "My client states that he was forced to visit 5 orthopedic specialists due to the intensifying pain. He made 4 emergency visits to St. Philomena's Hospital, undergoing injections and procedures to relieve acute agony. Further, have been on multiple medications and painkillers to manage the condition," Advocate K V Laveen, who served the notice on behalf of Mr Kiran on May 14, said. "He has also experienced episodes of crying out in pain, loss of sleep, anxiety, and mental distress, all of which have deeply affected his well-being and daily functioning," he added. Mr Kiran also said he is unable to travel by auto or on two-wheelers, as the uneven and damaged roads have severely worsened his spinal and neck condition. "Even cab rides are difficult, though marginally more tolerable than autos or bikes. This severely limits his mobility and independence, affecting both his personal and professional commitments," his lawyer said. It is due to BBMP's "gross negligence and failure in discharging its public duty" that the man is facing "physical agony, emotional trauma, and financial burden", the notice said. It added that Mr Kiran has demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the emotional and physical distress, and the costs of travel for medical consultations, within 15 days. Failure to do so will attract legal action, it said. Mr Kiran also sought Rs 10,000 as charges for the legal notice issued to BBMP. Speaking to NDTV, Mr Kiran said: "Bengaluru roads are a mess. Even the smallest pothole can cause so much distress." He said that he had flagged the issues to authorities in the past but in vain. "It is very sad that the city does not care for good infrastructure. That is why I have sent a notice to the authorities. If need be, I will file a PIL (Public Interest Litigation). Why should I suffer? The least the state can do is provide us with good roads," he said.
